Masks Help Reduce Hay Fever

 

As we all wait for Mother Nature to decide when winter will finally end, the 60 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever) are bracing themselves for an itchy and sneezy spring.

Stocking up on tissues and antihistamines is an annual ritual for many allergy suffers. Emma Polen spoke with a couple of local allergists who encourage their patients to keep those N95 face masks handy when they work and play outdoors:

Dr. Merritt Fajt, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and a specialist in UPMC’s Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine division, said that even before COVID-19, she was already suggesting mask-wearing for patients with severe allergies when they were going to do yard work.

“When more people were wearing masks outside, there was a definite decrease in the amount of symptoms from outdoor allergies in susceptible patients,” Dr. Fajt said.

 

Evidence collected during the pandemic clearly shows that wearing multi-layered surgical face masks and N95/KN95 respirators greatly reduces the risk of transmission of infectious respiratory pathogens like coronavirus and influenza virus. Polen learned why masks are also effective in keeping airborne allergens out of noses:

Additionally, as researchers have seen with COVID-19, multilayer masks are effective at filtering up to 50% of fine droplets and particles from the environment, according to information from the CDC.

Coronavirus particles are in fact much smaller than pollen particles, Dr. Fajt said. “Masks are just as effective or maybe even more effective at preventing the infiltration of the pollen since they worked down to such a small size.”

Dr. Christine Rauscher, allergist and immunologist at Allegheny Health Network, noted that the kinds of pollen that might cause allergic reactions, such as pollen from pine trees, can be 800 times bigger than the size of COVID-19 particles. So the masks that are intended to protect against COVID can also “help prevent pollen, including very small pollen like pine and pine tree pollen, from getting up into your nose,” she said.

Since mask-wearing has become common, “Patients are going to be more open to wearing masks. And I do think that it will help symptoms – especially if they’re surgical grade or higher tightness,” Dr. Rauscher said.

 

Wearing protective eyewear or sunglasses when working outdoors can also help prevent allergy symptoms by blocking pollen from entering the upper respiratory tract. Mayo clinic has other ideas for keeping your eyes and nose from running this spring:

• Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a good rain, which helps clear pollen from the air.

• Delegate lawn mowing, weed pulling and other gardening chores that stir up allergens.

• Remove clothes you’ve worn outside and shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair.

• Don’t hang laundry outside — pollen can stick to sheets and towels.

 

Southwestern Pennsylvania’s past and present history of industrial air pollution is a reminder for everyone to check local air quality forecasts before stepping outdoors year-round. The Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow.gov website is a reliable place to find the real-time air quality index (AQI) and forecasts. Allergy sufferers have to dig a little deeper to find allergy data and pollen forecasts at the National Allergy Bureau (NAB) or on their favorite weather app, but doing so is well worth their while:

• If high pollen counts are forecasted, start taking allergy medications before your symptoms start.

• Close doors and windows at night or any other time when pollen counts are high.

• Avoid outdoor activity in the early morning when pollen counts are highest.

 

Keeping outdoor air outside and indoor air clean can help reduce air pollution and allergens in the home:

• Use the air conditioning in your house and car.

• If you have forced air heating or air conditioning in your house, use high-efficiency filters and follow regular maintenance schedules.

• Keep indoor air dry with a dehumidifier.

• Use a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom.

• Clean floors often with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter.

 

In the Fourth National Climate Assessment published in 2018, scientists reported that pollen counts are rising in response to higher temperatures and rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The result is more severe allergy seasons that start earlier in the spring and last longer into the fall:

The frequency and severity of allergic illnesses, including asthma and hay fever, are likely to increase as a result of a changing climate. Earlier spring arrival, warmer temperatures, changes in precipitation, and higher carbon dioxide concentrations can increase exposure to airborne pollen allergens.

 

N95 masks are excellent at filtering out tiny fine particle pollution, pollen, and infectious viruses. As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes from our collective memory, many of us who suffer from hay fever symptoms should keep this useful layer of protection handy.

 

 

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source http://www.thepediablog.com/2022/04/14/masks-help-reduce-hay-fever/