Recently, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked St. Louis as one of the 10 worst cities for fall allergies. For almost every day of September so far, St. Louis has seen very high levels of mold spores. Mold spores are even smaller than pollen grains, and thus are easily inhaled.
According to Dr. Rand Dankner, of Allergy Associates Inc. in Chesterfield, St. Louis’ ranking is nothing new. “Geographically, we are in a river valley; we have a lot of mold and moisture and we have a lot of plant life that produces pollen in both the spring and the fall,” explains Dankner. Add Missouri’s recent lack of rainfall and the significant amounts of wind, and people will have allergy problems. The main cause of allergies in the fall is ragweed pollen, partially because there is very little rain during its peak season.
Your guide to a healthier, happier you
Sign up for the St. Louis Wellness newsletter and get practical tips for a balanced, healthy life in St. Louis.
Dankner advises that the first principle of allergy treatment is to avoid the allergen. This method entails closing windows, staying indoors, and keeping the AC on. However, Dr. Dankner recognizes that this is not the most realistic treatment, since people need to lead their lives and enjoy the outdoors.
In order to not be controlled by allergies, Dankner recommends taking antihistamines—most of which are available without a prescription. The most effective over-the-counter antihistamines are Zyrtec and Allegra, or their generic versions.
More powerful medications are available by prescription, such as intranasal sprays that are cortisone based and histamine based. Dankner adds that these medications are especially effective when taken with oral-based histamines.
When people have very difficult allergies, they can participate in an immunization process, which involves a series of disease-modifying injections that will eventually change the allergies over time. Dankner notes that if one’s allergy symptoms are easily controlled by medicines, then the immunization process, which is time-consuming and expensive, may not be worthwhile.
