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| Ah Spring. Ah Choo! |
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Ah, Spring. A time for lovers – including tiny grains of pollen floating on the breeze in search of another plant. When the pollen ends up in your nose instead, it can create an allergic reaction.
If your body sees the pollen as an invader, it will pump out chemicals (mostly histamines) in an effort to kill it. The result is called “hay fever” – even though it’s tree pollen that typically causes nasal allergies during spring. Grass and weed pollens
come later.
Whatever they call it, you almost always know it when you’ve got it because of your runny nose, itchy eyes and violent fits of sneezing.
If you have hay fever, you’re among 40 million or so Americans who react to this airborne irritant. Medical experts recommend two ways to stay more comfortable: 1) avoid it; 2) treat it. |
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Avoid It
Take steps to avoid exposure.
- Stay inside, with windows and doors closed, when outdoor pollen levels are highest.
- Filter the air inside your home, and change or clean filters often.
- Wear a pollen-dust mask when you work outdoors.
- Shower and wash your hair (a pollen-catcher) before going
to bed.
Treat It
You may see many ads on TV promoting new treatments for allergies. But existing prescription and over-the-counter drugs are already proven to prevent or relieve symptoms.
- Prevent Symptoms. Nasal allergy sprays that contain corticosteroids can block allergy triggers and, over time, keep symptoms at bay. These prescription drugs include generic versions of Flonase (fluticasone) and Nasolide (flunisolide).
- Relieve Symptoms.You can find many non-drowsy hay-fever medications over the counter at relatively low cost. Many, like Claritin, contain loratedine, a generic drug that has proven to be effective.
Ask Your Provider
If you suspect you have hay fever, talk to your healthcare provider for advice on avoiding and controlling the symptoms. If your provider offers a prescription, remember to ask some important questions.
- Is this covered by my plan; is it a preferred brand?
- If not, are there alternatives that may be as effective?
- Is there a generic version available that is as effective but less costly?
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| Have Asthma? Have a plan! |
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Did you know that people with asthma do much better if they follow a personal action plan?
To develop a personal asthma action plan, patients typically use a peak-flow meter for two or three weeks to measure the rates at which they can forcefully exhale. Their goal is to learn their own personal best, as well as their range.
Working with their doctor, they determine their green, yellow and red zones – a top to bottom range showing where they are compared with their best peak flow.
Then they determine which medications they need to use and at what dosage in each zone.
| Asthma doesn’t have to control your life; you can control your asthma. People who follow their asthma action plan and use medication as recommended stay in the green zone more often and longer. Work with your healthcare provider to make sure you’re the one in control by creating and following your own asthma action plan. |
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| Allergies and Asthma Getting You Down? |
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Allergies
With nasal allergies, it’s the itch that usually gets you first — in your eyes, nose and throat. Then come the sneezing, watery discharge and congestion. Symptoms can affect your sleep, too, making you tired all day.
About 20 percent of PEBB members suffer from nasal allergies. Some react to pollen during spring and fall. Others react year-round when exposed to dust, animal dander or mold.
Try to avoid your allergy triggers. For example, stay inside — away from pollen — during spring, or clean your house often to limit dust.
Over-the-counter treatments may help. Non-drowsy antihistamines relieve the itching, sneezing and watery eyes. Decongestants help you breathe better. Saltwater drops and inhalers can soothe irritated tissues.If your symptoms or side affects are getting worse, you may want to keep a log for a few days and see your doctor. A log can help in discussing symptoms, treatments, results and side affects.
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Your doctor may prescribe a prescription nasal spray. If it’s a brand that isn’t on your plan’s formulary, ask if one that is would work as well at less cost. Use it as prescribed to get the full benefit.
Asthma
Nasal allergies can be a bother, but asthma can be life threatening. It can require daily use of medications to keep it under control.
People with asthma need an action plan developed in coordination with their provider. It helps them identify and avoid their asthma triggers and lays out steps to deal with symptoms.
See a sample asthma plan from the Oregon Asthma Resource Bank.
Your medical plan offers support for chronic conditions, including asthma. Check your plan’s online resources to learn more about asthma causes, treatments and outcomes. The more you know about it, the better you can control it.
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| Allergy & Asthma |
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Allergies
For some, spring isn’t a season of delight in bright blossoms and budding trees. Instead, it’s a season of curses for sneezes, itchy noses and weepy eyes. When nature renews its flora, many reach for the tissue box and pill bottle.
If you or a family member suffers from respiratory allergies, you may be searching for the latest and “greatest” in anti-allergens. It may surprise you to know that generic, over-the-counter loratadine has been shown to be equally as effective as the more-costly prescription drugs touted in TV ads.
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PEBB members with respiratory allergies may want to consider a healthcare flexible spending account (FSA). These IRS-sanctioned accounts allow you to have dollars deducted from your pay pre-tax. As you incur out-of-pocket medical expenses, including those for many over-the-counter medications, you can submit a claim to reimburse yourself from the account.
Asthma
Every day, about five percent of PEBB members – almost 2,000 children and adults – deal with the tricky condition of asthma. There’s no cure for this often-lifelong illness that can cause hospitalization and even death. But, working with their healthcare provider, people with asthma can learn to manage it and reduce its burden on their lives.
People with asthma need to identify their triggers – things that can cause asthma attacks. Among them are smoke, dust mites, strong smells, mold, pollen, physical activity and cold air.
They also need to use two types of medications – control medicine to help them avoid attacks and rescue medicine for when they do have an attack. PEBB’s plans’ chronic disease management programs reach out to those who have been diagnosed with asthma. The programs help them and their healthcare providers put together a treatment plan to self-manage their asthma and keep it in check.
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