austin allergy report

austin allergy report

Austin Allergy Report

1. Introduction

This paper didn’t exist ten years ago. It is a reflection of progress in the field of allergy, particularly in the area of immediate hypersensitivity. The first “Austin Allergy Report” was published in 1977. It was primarily an index of the pollen flora of Central Texas, assembled to assist allergists on a daily basis. It graphed the daily concentrations of pollens and mold spores over a year and correlated them with weather conditions. It also reported news of medical and botanical interest. This was how an allergist who has spent his life in the clinical care of allergic patients, teaching clinical medicine, and conducting research on the immune response to allergens spent his sabbatical year. He was able to provide his colleagues, who were still suffering from “allergic encephalitis” induced by studying then recent articles on IgE, with a usable reference for their practice at no cost to them. By 1977 he was beginning to do clinical research with standardized extracts and conducting immunotherapy. Needed more clinical information for this work, so repeated the pollen/mold survey in 1978. Compiled more case data, added a section on allergic disease that was being published in the “Annals of Allergy”, with a chronological analysis of rapes and remissions and a narrative of the natural history of various allergic diseases. At the end of the year he sent the whole thing off to the editor of the “Annals of Allergy” and never saw it again. He didn’t give up so easily. In 1979 he made an audiotape of the reports to be later transcribed by the editor of that short-lived index Medicus citing the boredom and futility of dictating to secretaries. This too was never returned. Frustration at employing the old stepwise procedures in compiling medical information led to a consultation with a publisher of an employee who suggested something known as computer data entry in an Institute of Scientific Information search of the literature. With two graduate students on the project and $6200 in CHRP support he was on borrowed time. Called it off April 1, 1980 after I had pretty well figured how to enter the literature only to see his grant cut. Of the negative outcomes of this project the positive was discovery of an unsummarized wealth of allergy research data now being published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. This experience led to taking an August course in medical informatics at NIH and further refined our methodology a current example being call up of the electronic pollen and mold data from National Allergy Bureau. For information on how to get CAI from computer to hard copy request “Computer Assisted Instruction in Allergy” written November, 1983.

2. Common Allergens in Austin

Common allergens in Austin include: – Mountain Cedar: a tree found throughout central Texas that is a potent allergen for many central Texans. It produces pollen from November through March, with the heaviest concentrations in December and January. A single mountain cedar can produce billions of pollen particles. – Grasses: grasses are the most common cause of inhalant allergies worldwide. In North America, the pollen season varies greatly depending on the region and local climate. In central Texas, the grass pollen season begins in late March and lasts through early June. – Ragweed: ragweed is another potent allergen that, in North America, grows mainly in the eastern and midwestern states. It usually starts to release pollen in Austin in late August and continues until the first cold front. – Molds: molds produce spores that are present almost year-round in outdoor air. The outdoor mold spore levels usually peak in the summer in hot or warm and humid climates such as Austin but can be present at high levels whenever the spores are disturbed.

Allergens have been found to trigger symptoms in the nose and lungs, causing symptoms of allergic rhinitis such as an itchy nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, and runny nose, as well as allergic asthma with symptoms of cough, wheezing, and/or chest tightness. A given person with allergies usually has more than one of these symptoms.

3. Seasonal Allergy Patterns

Overall, if you are allergic to Central Texas trees, you are looking at coughing and sneezing from late February until late April. Those allergic to grass will have additional symptoms from May until July. Starting in mid-August, ragweed allergy will kick in, and those allergic to mold will have symptoms from then until the first frost, which is often late October. Thus, those allergic to multiple allergens may have virtually no relief. This kind of information is very useful to help plan your medications and environmental control measures. It is important to realize, however, that outdoor allergen data is quite variable from year to year depending largely on rainfall.

Ragweed pollinates from mid-August until the first frost, which can be early or late October. This means that there are a lot of patients who have fall ragweed allergy that can be difficult to escape. Mold outdoor counts peak in the fall as well, with the heaviest concentration from late September to early November.

4. Managing Allergies in Austin

There are multiple ways you can keep those allergies from affecting you so strongly. First and foremost, education about the allergens is key in being able to prevent exposure. The more a person knows about what causes their allergies, the more they can do to avoid them. Though there is not much a person can do about the abundance of mountain cedar in the winter, they can avoid going to areas where the amount is higher than average such as the hill country regions of Austin. Mold is another allergy that can be controlled if a person has the right knowledge. By keeping a check on the statesman.com allergy report or the kxan.com mold count, people can see when mold is high on a certain day and simply stay inside during those times. Cost-free ways of reducing allergen exposure include keeping windows and doors closed, limiting the amount of time spent outdoors on high pollen days, and bathing/showering after being exposed to high amount of allergens. A highly effective method of reducing allergies is the use of a very common over the counter drug known as Benadryl; it is best used right after exposure to an allergen. If taken before the allergic reaction occurs, Benadryl can prevent symptoms but also makes a person drowsy. Nose spray and eye drops are also effective for itchy eyes and a runny nose. For those who simply cannot handle the allergies in Austin, there are some extreme measures that can be taken to reduce their allergies. Though we do not recommend moving away from this wonderful city, it is known that moving to a place far away from cedar trees can significantly reduce a person’s mountain cedar allergies. If Texas really is the place for you, Austin is actually one of the better areas in Texas for allergy sufferers. The coastal regions of Texas have a wetter climate and thus more mold, and the northern and western regions of Texas have higher temperatures that cause longer lasting allergy seasons. In comparison to these regions, Austin has lower pollen and ragweed counts, and shorter spring and fall allergy seasons.

5. Conclusion

2018 was a notably light cedar season which left many allergy sufferers wondering if they should expect the same in 2019. This past season was much worse in terms of severity and patient symptoms. From January till the present (April), we calculated 7,559 grains which surpasses the threshold of a heavy season. Our peak was reached in March, and at that time we calculated that 2,363 grains were counted in one single day! The winds have been recorded and we are seeing that cedar pollen is traveling much shorter distances from previous years. Due to the concentration being higher in specific areas, patients who typically do not struggle with allergies are experiencing symptoms. Austin has experienced more dry, windy days in comparison to last year, and because cedar counts increase on dry, sunny days and decrease on wet, stormy days, the weather has also had a huge impact. Overall, we are finding that there is a direct correlation with the pollen and the intensity of patient symptoms. Given the increase in pollen counts over the last couple of years, it is safe to say that allergy sufferers should brace themselves for the upcoming cedar seasons.