Five-year-old Leo Belill of Mundelein didn’t hold back from playing at the playground despite his “Rudolph” nose, ruddy complexion and fatigue. But after his mom saw Leo struggle with labored breathing to get up from a fall at the playground, she realized his debilitating problem needed attention. Leo’s immune system was fighting harmless allergens.
Ingeri Belill, an allergy sufferer as a child and adult, understands her son’s misery and is sympathetic. “We want Leo to have a good, quality life,” she said. “To ensure this, it is important to be proactive and know about allergy symptoms, testing and treatment options.”
Leo is not alone. The allergens in the air Leo breathes have a profound effect on his health and quality of life, as it does with 50 million other allergy sufferers in America, as reported by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
Caroline Karr of Lincoln Park has dealt with allergies from the time she was 12. Since then, she has been on an allergy roller coaster, learning to cope with medications as they improve and taking multiple tests as her body changes and reacts to new allergens.
If you or your child has allergies, getting to the root of the problem and seeking treatment could improve life. Today advances in science make testing more efficient and accurate and treatment options safe and effective.
Achoo!
Karr’s itchy throat, nose, ears and eyes and runny nose and sneezing all seemed more than just a common cold. She also noticed getting hives and rashes from sitting on the grass.
“I was so tired all the time, I felt like Dorothy in the poppy field in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ” Karr said. “I could fall asleep anywhere.” What happened to Karr’s body during the spring and fall is typical for an allergy patient.
Like bees swarming to protect their hive, the body’s immune system reacts to protect itself from harmless substances, such as tree pollen, dust mites, animal dander and foods. As a result, the body forms “IgE” antibodies that release chemicals, such as histamine, causing allergic symptoms (the name of the antibodies as published has been corrected here and in a subsequent reference in this text).
Yet, experts and patients alike can be confused and frustrated by allergies. Experts consulted by the Belills did not recognize the characteristics of allergies right away. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, more than half of all allergy sufferers fail to recognize their symptoms at first, assuming they have a cold or flu. Allergic symptoms include sneezing; nasal congestion; an itchy, runny nose; itchy and watery eyes; an itchy throat and mouth. Wheezing and shortness of breath are more common in people prone to asthma.
Prick, prick, itch, itch
Dr. Anthony Daddono, a Waukegan allergy and pediatric specialist who treated Leo Belill, said allergies are a common trigger for asthma. Furthermore, a third of children with allergies develop asthma.
Experts recommend that people see an allergist when symptoms persist. Allergy testing is not as grueling as one might think. Dr. Dean Metcalfe of Bethesda, Md., chief of the Laboratory of Allergic Disease with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, a division of the National Institutes of Health, said, “The specialist will complete a history and physical, paying attention to any exposure to something that would trigger allergic reactions. He will also examine the eyes, nose and throat looking for irritation and swelling of mucosa and any foreign body in the nose. If the exam is consistent with an allergic reaction, skin testing is used to identify sources of allergens.”
Dr. Alan Resnick, with offices in Highland Park and Hoffman Estates, is a partner with Associated Allergists. He said, “In every case, it is very important that in order to obtain a proper diagnosis the physician must correlate test results with the patient’s symptoms and history. Skin testing is the most effective and economical method for detecting allergies.”
Daddono explained that “the prick test is done with a tiny plastic needle with a water-soluble extract of the allergen that barely pricks the skin on the inner arm or on the back. If necessary, an interdermal skin test [injection into the skin] is performed for a better reading if the patient has low antibody levels.”
Only after Belill’s friend recommended an allergist and Leo went through skin testing and treatment did they see results. “The allergist did prick testing on Leo’s back,” she said. “He actually giggled while he was tested. We discovered his allergies to dogs, cats and dust mites and immediately started a treatment plan. Now he has more color in his face and is much happier.”
Karr went through two rounds of inner-arm testing, the first when she was a teenager and the second while in her 30s. Her symptoms seemed to be triggered by animals and dust. “The prick test does not hurt,” she said. “After the test, you wait about 20 minutes for a reaction. Areas that react do itch.”
Ah, relief
Patients who suffer from allergies can consider treatment options in order to relieve symptoms. If symptoms are left untreated, further complications can arise, such as chronic sinus disease and asthma, Metcalfe said.
If allergies are from indoor particles, the first line of defense is to control the environment. The Belills removed Leo’s carpeting and put an air purifier in his room and also encased his mattress and pillows in dustproof covers. He also takes steroids and antihistamines to relieve symptoms.
If a person has seasonal allergies, experts say, the patient most likely will benefit from non-sedating antihistamines and decongestants. Daddono added, “Nasal steroids work very well with no side effects and can be used every day.”
Karr has switched medications from time to time since she was a teenager. Early on, medication made her very tired, but now she takes a non-sedating antihistamine year round as well as a steroid inhaler when she exercises due to her exercise-induced asthma.
One such medication is Claritin, made by Schering-Plough. The company recently announced that it would market Claritin over the counter later this year.
If you do not respond to medications or have severe allergies year round, then immunotherapy, or allergy shots, are highly effective.
Clinical trials are being conducted to see if pills and nasal sprays can accomplish the same results as shots, but safety and efficacy data are not in yet, according to Metcalfe. “Also,” he added, “work is being done to create an anti-‘IgE’ that would remove it from the body, eliminating allergic reactions.”
Always an allergy season
Typical allergens that are in the Chicago area from season to season:
– Late March to June–tree pollen
– May to July–grass
– August to October–ragweed
– Spring, summer and fall–outdoor molds
– Fall and winter–dust mites
