Winter no relief for allergy sufferers

January 5, 2007

By REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press Writer

AP via News

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TRENTON, N.J. - The unseasonably warm weather along the East Coast

has flooded some offices with patients suffering from an unusual

ailment this time of year: allergies.

Doctors say this winter's weather has sparked an onslaught of mold

spores that cause allergies and fluctuating temperatures that

irritate already-suffering nasal passages. Many patients may confuse

an allergic reaction with a common cold.

" The phone is ringing off the hook — it's incredible, " said Dr.

Clifford W. Bassett, vice-president of the American Academy of

Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, who has a practice in Manhattan.

" It's an explosion of people who are realizing that they may have

allergies, " said Bassett. " Typically, January and February are quiet

times in most allergists' offices. "

Mold spores that grow outdoors would normally die off during a cold

snap or be covered with snow. But in warm weather mold spores

continue to grow and spread. Throwing open the windows to enjoy the

weather makes things worse: The mold spores waltz inside.

Carola, 35, of New York said usually she could go without her

medication for chronic allergies in the winter. But she learned

Friday from her doctor her runny nose and itchy eyes weren't

symptoms of a cold as she suspected.

" Usually, the symptoms wouldn't be that prominent, " Carola said of

her allergies.

The most common allergy symptoms are itchy eyes, noses and throats,

and possibly runny or stuffy noses, said Bassett. People with colds

may share the stuffed up nose problem, but also may see changes in

the color of their mucus, loss of appetite, fatigue, low-grade

headaches or fevers.

Some doctors say a warm spell could bring a very early allergy

season since trees might begin to bud early; others say the

temperatures don't always make much of a difference.

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