Allergy symptoms strike many throughout winter months

By: Jamie Durant/Morning News | SCNow
Published: January 01, 2008

As the weather turns colder, some people will begin experiencing allergy symptoms that seem out of place during the winter.

But Dr. Shawn McKay, an otolarynologist at the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic in Florence, has one explanation for the odd outbreak of allergy symptoms during the winter months.

“The allergies we worry about during the winter months are primarily dust mite,” he said. “In fact, if I could only test and treat for one allergen, it would be dust mites.”

He said the most common treatments for dust mites include impervious covers on pillows and mattresses.

“Another one is wash bedding in hot water of at least 130 degrees or use chlorine bleach,” he said. “Another recommendation is to do away with dust collecting (on) carpet and furniture.”

He said although many people use HEPA filters, a commonly used allergen deterrent, they don’t have as much effect as many people think.

“They are probably good, but there is no conclusive evidence that they help,” McKay said.

He said people often are concerned about allergies to such things as wood smoke, but that is more likely the result of an allergen.

“There’s probably not much of a classic allergy to that,” McKay said. “But it acts more as a chemical irritant to the nose.

McKay said another common irritant during the winter is the lack of humidity in the air.

“When the humidity levels go down and the heat turns on, the nose can dry out and that can cause congestion and possibly bleeding,” he said.

He said to ease the discomfort of nasal dryness, use a saline irrigation system.

“Also, it may help to have a humidifier in the bedroom where they sleep,” he said. “Most people are breathing through their nose for several hours at a time when they are sleeping. Also, a moisturizing ointment in the nose works well, and something as simple as Vaseline works for that.”

Weave Whitehead, a local pediatrician at McLeod Pediatric Associates, agrees with McKay’s theory of indoor pollutants being the cause of most of the irritation during the winter.

He said in a previous interview that going outside during the winter is not what makes people sick.

“Even if it is cold and windy, you can wear a hat and still go outside,” he said. “The reason we get sick in the winter time is because we stay inside and share more germs.”

McKay said for recurring problems, contact an ear, nose and throat doctor.

Allergy symptoms strike many throughout winter months

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