The warm weather is here—and so are your allergy symptoms. Here are some options for managing your allergies during the summer season.
Summer is a wonderful time of year, but it can be miserable for people with seasonal allergies, otherwise known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis. Symptoms like nasal congestion, sneezing, headaches, and itchy or watery eyes1 can have you wishing it were fall.
About 20 per cent to 25 per cent of Canadians live with allergic rhinitis1. In a telephone survey of 1001 patients, 72 per cent of patients reported that their allergy symptoms adversely affect day-to-day functioning, including fatigue, poor concentration, and reduced productivity.1
High pollen counts and climate change factors
Why can summer be taxing for people with seasonal allergies? Grass pollen season typically occurs from May to September, during which grass pollen levels reach their peak2. We also tend to spend more time outdoors during the summer, increasing our exposure to these allergens. Climate change is another factor as it can have an impact on seasonality and symptom severity, resulting in longer and more intense allergy seasons3.
If you’re someone who suffers from seasonal allergies, you are likely to do anything to feel better. But what will work for you?
Finding symptom relief*
Allergen Avoidance
Avoiding exposure to the allergen is one way to avoid triggering a reaction but this is not always easy to do, especially if you’re not 100 per cent sure of what’s triggering your symptoms.
Symptomatic Therapies
Another option is symptom relief through what are known as symptomatic therapies. Some common treatments include antihistamines and nasal sprays that you can get over the counter or as a prescription from your healthcare professional.
Allergen Immunotherapy
If symptomatic therapies are not working well, a third option is allergen immunotherapy (AIT)†. AIT† aims to help your system become less sensitive to the allergy trigger by giving you repeated doses of a small extract of the allergen that you are sensitive to.
There are two Health Canada-approved forms of AIT:
- Allergy shots: These require going to the doctor for administration as often as once a week. Allergy shots are available for a number of different allergens.
- Allergy tablets: These are taken sublingually (under the tongue). The first dose is taken under your doctor’s supervision. After that, you can take them at home once daily. The tablets target a single allergen that your doctor thinks is triggering your symptoms. Allergy tablets are available for 4 different types of respiratory allergies.
Not sure whether you have seasonal allergies or what’s the right treatment option for you?
Regardless of the options, it is important to manage your seasonal allergies under the care of a qualified medical professional, as well as find out what you’re allergic to. Your primary care provider can refer you to a qualified allergy specialist to perform the required diagnostic tests and/or initiate the appropriate therapy.
Get referral and find an allergist near you.
Footnotes:
1. Keith PK, Desrosiers M, Laister T, Schellenberg RR, Waserman S. The burden of allergic rhinitis (AR) in Canada: perspectives of physicians and patients. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2012;8(1):7. doi:10.1186/1710-1492-8-7 The burden of allergic rhinitis (AR) in Canada: perspectives of physicians and patients – PMC
2. Data on file. Tree Pollen in Canada: Understanding the Burden and Seasons.
3. Wu AC, et al. The role of environmental risk factors on the development of childhood allergic rhinitis. Children (Basel). 2021 Aug 17;8(8):708.
Disclaimers: *The information presented in this article does not constitute medical advice, nor should it be substituted for seeking medical advice. *Allergen immunotherapy can only be used in individuals with moderate-to-severe allergic rhinitis confirmed by a positive skin prick test and/or blood serum IgE test for the respective allergen. The first dose should only be administered in a healthcare setting under the supervision of a physician with experience in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases, with epinephrine available. While severe systemic allergic reactions to AIT are uncommon, AIT can cause systemic allergy reactions, which can range from mild to life-threatening, including anaphylaxis. The use of more than one type of allergy tablet at the same time has not been studied. Allergy shots and tablets should not be combined.
CA-NPR-2600057