— Graphic by Matt Bechtold

Trees are budding, flowers are blooming, people are — sneezing.

With an abundance of rainfall in the past couple of weeks, thriving plants are wreaking havoc on students with seasonal allergies.

Patricia Denning, senior staff physician at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said Watkins saw more cases of students with allergies in the spring versus in the fall.

“We have seen some patients with mild allergy problems, and we’re going to see an increase as more plants bud and bloom and pollen is released,” Denning said.

More than half of all United States citizens test positive for one or more allergens, according to a nationwide survey conducted in 2005.

Whitney Heitman, Clearwater sophomore, discovered she had allergies six years ago but was not officially tested until last year.

“It was good to know what exactly I’m allergic to because then it can be treated correctly,” Heitman said.

Now Heitman takes Allegra, a prescription allergy pill, every day to help control her symptoms, and she puts a drop of customized allergy medicine on her tongue.

“The drops are like an allergy shot,” Heitman said. “You’re taking what you’re allergic to so you can build up your immunity.”

Sarah Fettke, Wichita senior, has seasonal allergies to pollen, dust and mold that worsen in the fall and spring.

“It’s definitely been worse this season — the pollen count has been pretty high,” Fettke said.

Fettke also uses Allegra and a nasal spray when her symptoms arise.

Allergies vary in presence and strength according to a person’s environment. Denning said she frequently heard students say they had never had allergies until coming to Kansas.

“If you live in Kansas and are allergic to ragweed, you’ll have some trouble,” Denning said. “But if you live in Arizona then you may not have any.”

Seasonal allergies sometimes lead to sinus infections if mucus does not drain from sinus cavities in the face, she said.

Fettke said she usually had about three sinus infections a year, and Heitman said she experienced three to five per year.

Denning said sinus infections could be treated with antibiotics and over-the-counter medicine such as Mucinex D.

How do you know it’s allergies?

Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies

Stuffy nose

Runny nose

Itchy nose

Clear, thin, watery mucus

Sneezing

Red eyes

Watery eyes

Itchy eyes

Puffy eyes

Absence of fever

What are allergens?

“Allergens are proteins that your body reads as foreign and irritating, so it sets up a line of defense to protect itself. In your eyes, nose and throat, that’s mucus to wash those proteins away. That’s your body’s way of trying to put a protective layer against allergens. Also, blood vessels under the skin dilate, which causes oozing and causes us to drip and allergens set off little nerves that make us itch.”

Pills

The most common treatment for allergy symptoms is an antihistamine pill that works by blocking histamines and keeping blood vessels from dilating. Common allergy pills are Claritin, Zyrtec and Benadryl.

Nasal Spray

Steroid nasal sprays work by stopping mucus production in the nose. This is effective for runny noses. Any swallowed medicine is deactivated by gastric acid.

Eye Drops

Eye drops are prescribed for eye allergies and usually have an antihistamine or a steroid in them.

Source: Patricia Denning, Watkins Memorial Health Center

Forecasted Pollen Levels

Today

High

Thursday

MEDIUM

Friday

High

Source: www.weather.com

— — Edited by Grant Treaster