Litchfield Hills Today

• More than 23 million people in the U.S. suffer from allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever.
• Ragweed allergy is a common cause of hay fever.
• Fortunately, there are several treatment options available for allergy sufferers.

As Connecticut enters its peak ragweed season, a physician from CT ENT Sinus Center is offering allergy sufferers hope by suggesting options for treatment.

Dr. Robert Weiss told Litchfield Hills Today that many of his patients are treated with immunotherapy.

“So what does that mean? Immunotherapy is desensitizing someone to all the things they're allergic to,” Weiss said. “Most of us are familiar with allergy shots. You go to the allergist once a week, and what they're doing is they're giving you a shot of a small concentration of many of the things that you're allergic to. What this does is, if you do this once a week and it takes a few years, this is a long-term treatment. Your body will start to ignore those allergens and stop reacting to them.”

A popular treatment in more recent years is the use of allergy drops, Weiss said.

“Sublingual therapy, meaning you put in a drop of all the things you're allergic to under your tongue. You don't have to have an injection,” Weiss said.

Knowing treatment options is important, as more than 23 million people in the U.S. have allergic rhinitis, which is also called hay fever, the Allergy & Asthma Network said. An allergy to ragweed is a major cause of allergic rhinitis. Ragweed allergy sufferers feel the peak effects of their symptoms in mid-September, and those symptoms can last until November. Ragweed plants -- in the form of weeds, shrubs or herbs -- grow in abundance across the country, and their pollen can be found in every state.

Common allergy symptoms include a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes and hives. People who are allergic to ragweed and have asthma could experience a flareup in asthma symptoms if they inhale the plant's pollen. Asthma-related hospitalizations spike in mid-September, thanks to ragweed pollen, according to the Allergy & Asthma Network. 

To minimize allergy symptoms, the Allergy & Asthma Network said allergy sufferers can take the following steps: Premedicate with a nasal spray or antihistamine, change clothing and take a shower after coming inside, wear a mask outdoors, keep windows and doors closed and monitor ragweed pollen counts. People who are allergic to ragweed should also avoid certain foods that are botanically related to ragweed, including bananas, mangoes, artichokes, cucumbers, cantaloupes, watermelons, sunflower seeds and zucchini.

To diagnose allergies, doctors reviews the patient's symptoms and medical history, and they may recommend either a blood test or a skin test, according to WebMD. For a skin test, the doctor places a small amount of the allergen on the patient's skin, typically on the forearm or back. If the patient is allergic to that particular allergen, a small, itchy bump will appear.

Depending on the type and severity of allergies, a doctor could recommend various treatment options, according to Mayo Clinic. Some treatments options are “nonprescription or prescription medications in the form of pills or liquid, nasal sprays or eye drops,” immunotherapy, allergy shots, or for severe allergies, carrying an emergency epinephrine shot, such as an EpiPen.

If you're looking for more information about allergy diagnosis and treatment, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.