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2021 Allergy Forecast: A Bad Year for Everyone?

BY: MICHAEL VOLKER, CRNP

Like taxes, allergy season is one of those things you just can’t avoid. In fact, due to climate change, it may be getting worse. Warmer temperatures lead to more pollen production, so 2021 may be the most intense allergy season yet. And due to COVID-19 quarantine, children may especially have a rough year.

When is allergy season?

It starts in the spring and continues until the fall, but different allergens, the substances that trigger allergies, appear at different times.

March and April: As spring begins, tree pollen is the top allergen, followed by weeds and grasses. In some parts of Maryland, it’s not unusual to see cars covered by the itchy stuff.

May to July: In May, all the trees, grass and weeds gang up to pump out allergens, making it a bad time for allergy sufferers. This is the start of peak allergy season, which continues until July.

July to September: Enter ragweed, a common flowering plant. Ragweed is the leading cause of seasonal allergies, with 75% of all sufferers allergic to it.

October: With temperatures falling and plants starting to go dormant, the air starts to clear, bringing an end to outdoor allergy season. Now it’s possible to breathe a sigh of relief without coughing.

See the Interactive Allergy Forecaster for allergy conditions where you live.

COVID-19 and children’s allergies

Many children have been quarantined for the past year, with limited time outdoors. Now that they’re starting to return to their regular routines, you may notice they’re sneezing, coughing and rubbing their eyes more than they have in past allergy seasons. This may be because spending a year indoors has made them more sensitive to allergies.

Children need some exposure to allergens for their immune systems to learn how to fight them. Since many kids have had limited exposure to outdoor allergens for a year, they may have stronger allergic reactions than they had in the past.

Surviving allergy season

The best thing for both adults and children to do is minimize your exposure to allergens. Try not to go outside when the pollen count is high. Use the Interactive Allergy Forecaster to see what allergy conditions are in your area and get forecasts for tree, grass and ragweed pollen. Other things to try:

  • If you have pets, keep  them in the house on high-pollen days. Pollen may stick to their fur and end up in your nose.
  • Change your AC filters  regularly and consider getting a HEPA air filter to strain allergens out of the air in your home.
  • Use over-the-counter allergy medicines to relieve symptoms: antihistamines to relieve your itchy nose and sneezing, and decongestants to get rid of your stuffy nose.
  • On high pollen days, change your clothes when coming in from outside.
  • Keep windows and doors closed to reduce pollen entering the house.

If your or your child’s allergy symptoms are severe or continue a long time, your health care provider may be able to help or refer you to an allergist.

Michael Volker, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, received his Master of Science in Nursing degree from Walden University and is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. He sees patients in the Arundel Mills office.

A Good Night’s Sleep in Anxious Times

By: Michael Volker, CRNP

During office visits, it’s not unusual for patients to tell me they’re experiencing stress and anxiety due to the pandemic, and it’s spoiling their sleep. This is normal, I tell them: COVID-19 messes with our lives in many ways, including our ability to sleep well.

Getting a good night’s sleep is more important than ever in these troubled times. If you’re well rested, you lower your risk of getting sick, reduce stress and depression, and generally feel better.

Here are some tips I give my patients who are having trouble sleeping. They’re designed to put your mind at ease so you can get restful, healthful sleep.

Understand what makes you anxious
Think about why your anxiety is bad at bedtime and what you can do to ease it. Do you watch TV news at night? Spend time on social media? Worry that you’re going to get the virus? All these can raise your anxiety level and increase sleeplessness. While it’s impossible to shut off all worry, it helps to avoid things that make you anxious, especially at bedtime.

Exercise during the day
Moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes five or more days a week can help you relax and fall into a deep sleep. Moderate exercise could be a brisk walk where you can still carry on a conversation. Vigorous exercise, like running, is also good, but do it at least two hours before going to bed.

Limit nap time
Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. If you do nap, limit yourself to 30 minutes and avoid napping late in the day.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine
Both of these can mess up your natural sleep rhythms and cause wakefulness. Stop drinking alcohol at least two hours before bed, and try not to drink caffeinated beverages after 2 p.m.

Instead, try herbal teas in the evening to relax and unwind. Popular choices include chamomile and lavender, available in many stores.

Develop a bedtime routine
Having a regular bedtime routine tells your mind and body it’s time to slow down and prepare for sleep. Tailor your routine to your own needs, but it could include:

  • Keep to a sleep schedule. A regular bedtime helps maintain your body’s internal clock.
  • Prepare your bedroom. At night, you want a dark, quiet and cool room to fall asleep. Try adjusting your thermostat to a lower temperature, changing to cotton or bamboo linens, or taking a shower/bath before bed.
  • Wash your sheets regularly. Clean linens can also help you fall asleep faster.
  • Quiet your mind. Before you go to bed, empty your worries and anxieties. For example, write down what you have to do the next day and then put it in a drawer. Or write down your anxious thoughts, then crumple the paper and throw it away to let your worries go.
  • Turn off your TV, phone and other electronics at least one hour before bed. Using devices in the bedroom leads to higher insomnia, a later wake-up time, shorter sleep duration, and greater fatigue. If you are watching TV or using your phone at night time, turn on the blue light filter or wear blue light filtering glasses.
  • Find relaxing bedtime activities. Calm your mind by reading a book, listening to soothing music, deep breathing, or meditating.

Try melatonin instead of sleeping pills
Melatonin is a hormone in your body that plays a role in sleep. It is available as a supplement, which some people take to help them fall asleep. Melatonin is not habit forming. Try to avoid other night time medications, such as Tylenol PM or Advil PM. These contain diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Usually they only help you fall asleep and do not promote restful sleep, and diphenhydramine can also become habit forming.

If you wake up
If worry makes you wake up in the middle of the night, try this:

  • Don’t lie there, get out of bed.
  • Remove yourself from the bedroom or sit in a chair in the bedroom.
  • Do screen-free activities to get sleepy again.

Know when to contact your doctor
During this time of COVID-19, nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night, but if your sleeplessness continues, contact your MPCP provider. We can help you identify and treat any underlying causes that may be keeping you from a good night’s sleep.

More resources for you:
9 Resources for Coping with Coronavirus Anxiety, Healthline
9 Tips for A Good Night’s Sleep, Psych Central

 

Michael Volker, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, received his B.S. in Nursing degree from University of Maryland Baltimore School of Nursing and his M.S. in Nursing degree from Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Volker is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. He sees patients in the Arundel Mills office.

 

Help! The ‘Bug’ Bit Me

By: Tywanna Hamilton, CRNP

You’re coughing, sneezing and running a fever. You’ve been bitten by “the bug.”

Colds and flu are caused by viruses. There’s no cure once you’ve been infected – antibiotics don’t work on viruses — but there are things you can do to reduce the misery and speed up your recovery.

Stay home

Once you’re sick, it’s best to go home and wait it out. Trying to push through illness can make it last longer and put others at risk for infection. At home, you should:

  • Get plenty of bed rest
  • Avoid physical exertion
  • Drink fluids to prevent dehydration. Avoid alcohol (it dehydrates you and may interact badly with medicine) and caffeine (it can keep you from resting)

Try home remedies

Some home remedies can help you feel better by clearing your nasal and throat passages, and easing headaches and sore throat:

  • Use a neti pot or similar device to rinse the nasal passages with saline
  • Drink hot green, black, or herbal tea
  • Gargle with hot salt water for a sore throat
  • Run a humidifier to moisten dry air
  • Take a hot shower to let steam loosen congestion
  • Put a hot compress on your forehead or nose for headache or sinus pain

Use over-the-counter medicine

Over-the-counter medicines can’t cure a cold or flu, but they can reduce your symptoms and make you feel better. There are dozens of options to reduce fever and pain, relieve congestion, quiet coughs, and ease a sore throat. Keep in mind, however, that some over-the-counter medicine may cause side effects, or they may react badly with other medication you’re taking. Be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure they’re safe for you.

Take antiviral drugs for the flu

Antiviral drugs don’t cure the flu, but they can help prevent it, ease your symptoms and shorten the time you have it. For antivirals to treat the flu, they need to be started in the first two days after your symptoms appear. They are only available by prescription, so ask your doctor if an antiviral can help you.

These treatments can really help when you’ve been bitten by the bug. Your doctor may have other suggestions, so ask about ways you can get better faster.

 

Tywanna Hamilton, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Prairie View A&M University. Ms. Hamilton is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She cares for patients at the Arundel Mills office.

5 Diets You Should Absolutely Avoid in 2020

By: Janice Rutkowski, M.D.

We’ve all seen the ads with the blaring headlines:

  • LOSE 20 POUNDS IN 7 DAYS!
  • BURN BELLY FAT NATURALLY!
  • BLAST OFF 30+ LBS OF FAT IN 2 WEEKS!

There are dozens of diets on the market that promise super-fast weight loss, but many of them take an unbalanced approach to diet and nutrition. Some tell you to avoid “bad” foods, such as carbohydrates or fats, others restrict you to just a few foods, and still others require you to buy expensive supplements or pills.

Any diet that cuts out certain foods or limits calories can lead to short-term weight loss. But fad diets rarely bring long-term results because people often return to their previous eating habits when the diet ends. Also, people who follow extreme diets may not be getting all the nutrients they need to stay healthy.

Let’s look at five popular diets you should avoid in 2020. Then we’ll give you tips for managing your weight in a smart, healthy way.

  1. Carnivore diet: The carnivore diet has you eat mostly meat (along with some eggs and fat, like cheese). This is not a healthy or sustainable diet — it is extremely high in saturated fat, which can put you at risk for increased cholesterol levels, and it also leaves out a lot of foods that contain important nutrients, including fruits and vegetables.
  2. Whole30: This 30-day diet has you eat a lot of fresh, organic vegetables, grass-fed chicken and beef, and healthy fats like avocado and nuts. That’s well and good, but it also eliminates many foods, such as grains, dairy, soy, legumes, sugars and alcohol. And if you slip one day, you have to start over. The big problem with Whole30 is that it’s difficult to maintain. You may crave the foods you can’t eat and feel guilty if you “cheat.” This can turn into an unhealthy cycle where you avoid certain foods for a while and then binge on them later.
  3. Keto diet: “Keto” is a low-carbohydrate diet with plenty of meats, eggs, processed meats, sausages, cheeses, fish, nuts, butter, oils, seeds and fibrous vegetables. But you can’t eat breads, pasta, potatoes, rice, oats flour, sugar, fruit and alcoholic drinks. The diet’s low-carbohydrate content causes your blood sugar levels to drop, and your body begins breaking down fat to use as energy, a process caused ketosis. The problem is keto isn’t sustainable in the long term. Once your body enters ketosis, you also begin to lose muscle, become fatigued, and eventually enter starvation mode. This is particularly dangerous for people with kidney or liver conditions.
  4. Atkins diet: Atkins is the granddaddy of low-carb diets. It requires you to eat a lot of meat, cheese and eggs but severely limits carbohydrates, including sugar, bread, pasta, milk, fruits and vegetables. Similar to the keto diet, it causes your body to enter ketosis and burn fat. Like many fad diets, you lose weight quickly on Atkins, but it’s difficult to stay on it for long. Also, there is medical concern about the negative effects of a high-protein diet on kidney function, cholesterol levels, and the risks of heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer.
  5. Pegan diet: The pegan diet combines the popular paleo diet with some vegan principles. You eat lots of fruits and vegetables, along with nuts and seeds, oils, no dairy or gluten, a small amount of meat, and few beans or grains. You get to eat healthy foods, but the pegan diet restricts some foods that provides important nutrients. Also, since it limits what you can eat, it is hard to maintain over the long run.

Now that we’ve looked at diets to avoid, here are some good tips to help you achieve your weight-loss goal:

  1. Eat smaller portions: It’s common sense, if you want to lose weight, eat less. For example, if you usually eat a cup of rice, reduce it to a half cup. If you normally eat a plate full of pasta, cut down it to half a plate.
  2. Focus on healthier foods: Make fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats, such as fish and chicken, the major part of your diet. Avoid junk foods, fast food and other foods you know are loaded with fats and calories. For helpful eating guidelines, see Choose My Plate from the USDA.
  3. Get physical: Exercise is the safest way to get fit and lose weight. And you don’t have to go to the gym seven days a week. Start with just five minutes a day and increase your activity gradually. Create an exercise plan that works for you with these guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services. Strive for between 150 and 200 minutes a week.
  4. Avoid extra sugar: Sugar occurs naturally in many foods, and your body uses it for energy. But what you should do is avoid extra sugar. Skip dessert and stay away from drinks and snacks from are loaded with the sweet stuff. See these tips for reducing extra sugar from the American Heart Association.
  5. Don’t get hungry: You should never, ever skip meals. By being hungry, you increase the chances that you will binge on unhealthy snacks and food. Avoid hunger by always having some healthy snacks handy. Have a granola bar or eat a variety of nuts in between meals.
  6. Talk to your doctor: Before starting any weight-loss program, it’s a good idea to discuss it with your doctor to make sure it is balanced and healthy. Your doctor can make recommendations for eating plans, exercise programs and more.

 

Dr. Rutkowski is a Maryland Primary Care Physicians, LLC partner and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She cares for patients at MPCP’s Arundel Mills office.