Is It Allergies or Something More Serious?

As we enter spring in the Pacific Northwest, you may already be experiencing some watery or itchy eyes or maybe even a stuffy nose as a result of allergies.

As flowers begin to bloom and certain trees regain their foliage, allergens become much more common in the air. You may also experience indoor allergies, which have their own causes and prevention strategies.

Jennifer Heydt, MD, with EvergreenHealth ENT + Head & Neck Surgical Care sat down with KING 5's New Day Northwest program to discuss when your symptoms may be allergies and when they may indicate something more serious, including conditions that may require surgery.

Seasonal Allergies

For us Washingtonians, the sunshine and warm weather is usually a welcome sight during the spring months after typically cold and cloudy winters. However, it can also be a dreadful time of the year as many of us experience allergies.

Seasonal allergies, sometimes referred to as hay fever or allergic rhinitis, are very common, resulting from a reaction to the growth cycle in plants and mold. You may experience allergy symptoms year-round or during a specific time of the year.

Some common symptoms include:

• Itchy, watery or red eyes
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Temporary loss of smell
• Headache
• Sneezing, scratchy or sore throat
• Fatigue

You can normally be able to tell if you have allergies if they begin during the spring or fall months. In the Pacific Northwest, tree pollen is quite high between February and April, grass pollen is high from May to July and weed pollen is most prevalent in August and September.

There are a number of over-the-counter allergy medicines as well as natural remedies you may already have lying around at home.

If your runny nose, congestion and other allergies lie dormant in the winter but appear around this time of year, it's likely you have allergies.

It's also important to rule out other conditions common during these months like a cold.

Ear, Nose & Throat Conditions

Although allergies are the most common cause of a runny nose and congestion, you should be able to distinguish allergies from other more serious conditions.

Individuals frequently present to the doctor with what they think are allergies but actually a sinus infection. Sinus infections, if left untreated for three or more months, can become chronic sinusitis, a long-lasting sinus inflammation.

Additionally, a deviated septum, which is when the cartilage and bone that separates the nasal cavity is off-center, can cause allergy-like symptoms. You'll likely experience headaches, nasal congestion, nosebleeds and snore if your septum is deviated.

If you experience these symptoms, track them to see if there are common or reoccurring signs. If you take over-the-counter medications, be aware of whether or not your symptoms greatly improve. If these medications are ineffective, there is likely and underlying issue.

Treatment

The surest way of determining if you have allergies or an underlying issue is to schedule an appointment with your primary care provider. If they find your symptoms are being caused by something other than allergies, they'll likely refer you to an ENT specialist.

There are a number of treatment options for ENT conditions. Depending on your preferences and unique condition, your ENT doctor will likely exhaust non-surgical options first with treatments like saline nasal irrigation, antifungal treatments, antibiotics or nasal corticosteroids.

If these non-invasive methods are unsuccessful, your ENT provider will discuss surgical options, which are minimally invasive and offer a quick recovery time.

No matter what condition you may have, we want to support you in determining the best treatment option for your health needs and values. At EvergreenHealth, we pride ourselves on creating an individualized care plan for all our patients so you can get back to living and enjoying your life.

This article has been adapted from the New Day Northwest segment "Is it allergies or something more serious?"