Spring Allergies: Take Action With Lab Testing!

A sniffle here, a sneeze there. Our first thought is, “Uh-oh, I’m coming down with something.”
But did you ever stop to consider what ails you may not be an illness at all, but an allergy?

Spring is the time of year when we all want to get outside and enjoy the mild temperatures and the beauty of the blossoming plants and trees.  If you’re a seasonal allergy sufferer, you don’t need a calendar to tell you when winter is over; your nose probably will. If you can’t stop and smell the roses because you’re too busy sneezing and sniffling, then it’s probably time you switch up your wellness routine. Luckily,  Any Lab Test Now® is here to help with information on how to ease your allergy suffering.

Did you know?

• More than 50 million people are affected by nasal allergies in the United States
• Americans make 13.4 million visits to doctors, outpatient, and emergency departments due to hay fever
• An estimated 55 percent of Americans test positive for one or more allergens

Allergy Symptoms and Sources

The main source of allergies is pollen, which is a powdery substance made by trees, weeds, and grasses. If you have seasonal allergies, your body mistakes this harmless substance for something dangerous and tries to attack it.  An allergic reaction to pollen can cause symptoms like coughing, a runny or stuffy nose, and itchy, watery eyes.  Seasonal allergies can be most serious when they impact your ability to sleep, contributing to a loss of productivity, so attending to the symptoms is important. One of the best ways to treat seasonal allergies is to add a quarterly allergy test to your wellness routine. Save yourself time and money using lab tests to pinpoint exactly what’s triggering your symptoms. The simplest way to do that is by taking advantage of the wide range of allergy testing we offer.

Pollen is not the season’s only trigger. With spring rains, there is more mold growth inside and outside your home. And spring cleaning will stir up dust mites throughout the house as well.

Here is a rundown of the top allergy-producing sources and when they cause the most issues:

• Tree pollen typically appears in spring
• Grasses shed pollen in late spring and summer
• Mold spores often cause seasonal allergies during the spring, summer, and fall

The Allergy “Uglies”

Allergies can make you feel miserable. The symptoms may leave you feeling extremely sluggish and fatigued, which can impact other areas of your life, such as work or family time.  You can also experience the allergy “uglies,” which include puffy, saggy eyelids, watery eyes, and a red, runny nose. 

If we took a peek inside your medicine cabinet, what would it look like? If you are like a lot of people, your cabinet would be a jumble of allergy medicines, decongestants, and cough suppressants, with a few stray pain relievers and fever reducers rolling around. At Any Lab Test Now, we want to help you take control of your seasonal allergies by helping you identify your triggers with direct-access lab testing. The “ugly truth” is that without the right information, you are more likely to self-misdiagnose and purchase the wrong types of medications. Buying various remedies and medications isn’t cheap, and the cost can quickly add up. When your symptoms strike, will you be prepared?

How to Reduce Your Exposure to Allergens

Before you settle for plastic flowers, fake grass, or hiding indoors, there are some simple strategies to keep springtime allergies under control.

• Keep your windows closed
• Keep the grass cut short and avoid gardening chores that may stir up allergens
• Quarterly allergy testing
• Remove clothes you have worn outside and shower to rid pollen from your skin and hair
• Brush off your pets after they have been outside to prevent allergens from coming inside with them
• Check your local TV weather forecast for information on current pollen levels

An Ounce of Prevention is a Worth a Pound of Cure

Most doctors would agree that the first step in winning your battle against seasonal allergies is to know your triggers, and that’s where your local Any Lab Test Now can help. We offer a wide range of allergy testing that will help you fight back when it seems like your body is in revolt!

Any Lab Test Now^® can help you determine the source of your springtime sniffles. Our Comprehensive Food And Environmental Allergy Panel measures your body’s reaction to different foods and allergens: including grasses, trees, weeds, and molds. You can make an appointment or just walk into any one of our locations where a qualified technician will perform a simple blood draw. There is no cure for allergies, but they can be managed. The next step is to discuss the results of your allergy test with your doctor so you can stop and smell the springtime flowers without sneezing!

Click here to find your neighborhood Any Lab Test Now^®.

Take Control of Your Health During Allergy Season

Kick hay fever to the curb by learning your triggers to stay healthy when pollen counts are high.

As the leaves sprout and flowers bloom, millions of Americans start sneezing. Up to 50 million Americans, including millions of children, suffer from allergies. At least one in five Americans has an allergy, and more than 26.1 million have seasonal allergies. An allergy is your immune system’s response to a trigger, such as pollen. In people with allergies, the body produces antibodies against common environmental substances and foods that create the typical allergy symptoms, such as itchy eyes and skin, sneezing, nasal congestion, wheezing, and rash. The antibodies produce histamine, which causes the allergic response. Allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, affects 6.1 million children and 20 million adults, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports.

While seasonal allergies can make people feel miserable, they are mostly not life-threatening. Allergies to food and insect bites are more likely to cause anaphylactic shock and death in severe cases. The number of people who have severe allergies has risen dramatically in the past 20 years.

Seasonal allergies send employee productivity spiraling, according to a study of 600 people conducted by Ohio State University. The study revealed that workers on average missed an hour of work per week during the peak allergy season; or 4 million workdays annually. Study participants cited lack of sleep and a negative impact on their overall health as the two main reasons for missing work due to seasonal allergies. Ohio State University experts recommend allergy testing and proper treatment to reduce sick days during allergy season.

Know Your Seasonal Triggers

Understanding the triggers that cause your nose to run and your eyes to water is essential for conquering pollen season. Some of the most common seasonal allergy culprits are tree, grass, and weed pollen, according to the AAFA. Avoiding the allergy is the best way to manage the problem, Mayo Clinic reports. Testing can help you learn the correct treatment for your allergy. An easy way to learn the cause of your seasonal stuffy nose is to visit Any Lab Test Now and order the Basic Allergy Panel.

You can access a simple blood test to determine what you are allergic to and prevent a severe allergic reaction or save money on only the allergy shots you need. Any Lab Test Now offers a Basic Allergy Panel that tests for 32 different environmental substances as well as foods.

• Eight common grasses and weeds, including ragweed
• House dust mites. Pet dander for cats and dogs
• Seven common fruits and vegetables
• Three dairy products including cow’s milk, soft cheese, and eggs
• Peanuts
• Grains including wheat and soybeans
• Meats including tuna, beef, and chicken
• Sugar and chocolate

When the body experiences an allergy to a substance, it produces antibodies that are specific to the allergen, called immunoglobulin E, or IgE, which Any Lab Test Now’s laboratory partners can measure to determine what’s triggering your symptoms.

Treating Your Allergy
There are a variety of treatment options for seasonal allergies. Your doctor will advise you on the best treatment, depending on your trigger. Some of the common treatments for seasonal allergies are:

• Oral or nasal antihistamines
• Decongestants
• Prescription eye drops
• Allergy shots
• Sublingual allergy therapy — small amounts of the allergen are placed under the tongue to develop an antibody response over time.

Natural Ways to Combat Allergies
If your allergy panel reveals you may have some allergies, there are natural steps you can take to prevent a runny nose and itchy eyes.

Close the window. Stopping unfiltered outdoor air from entering your home can prevent pollen from coming into the house.

Take a shower. When you enter your home at the end of a long day, you are bringing in allergens, like pollen, attached to your clothes. Taking a shower and putting on clean clothes can help reduce the severity of your reaction.

Eat healthy and drink water. Consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables and hydrating can reduce allergy symptoms, according to reports.

Irrigate. Using a nasal rinse, like a Neti Pot, can remove excess mucus and may help improve symptoms.

Any Lab Test Now offers testing that can help you take control of your seasonal allergies. Visit an Any Lab Test Now near you to stop your sniffles today.