Region has long been known as among the worst places for allergies
By Albert S. Hartel, M.D.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has recently released its yearly rankings, and Rochester has risen to second worst place for asthma in America!
Rochester has long been known as among the worst places for allergies and those same allergens very often play an enormous role in not only triggering asthma, but also in causing daily chronic underlying inflammation that can make the airways swollen even when feeling good! This allergic swelling makes the lungs more reactive and spasmodic when other triggers such as infections, cold air or exercise are added with a cumulative effect.
Rochester is also notorious for its cold winter air, smoke and pollutants from the Canadian wildfires, which are big irritant triggers, making breathing more challenging. The expensive cost of energy in New Yok state also means more don’t use air conditioning, keeping windows open during pollen season, or heat with alternatives such as wood burning stoves that release toxic irritants if not very well ventilated. Dust mite and dander levels also increase during winter months when more time is spent indoors.
Asthma can be a silent ticking time bomb. The lungs have so much extra reserve volume before wheezing and symptoms occur, that many people have a significant amount of baseline inflammation, but are unaware they are more susceptible to tip over more easily. If all infections tend to spiral into someone’s chest, or if they linger longer than in other people, it is likely underlying asthma and often underlying allergic lung inflammation playing a role. Anyone who needs steroids (prednisone or Medrol) more than once a year is still considered persistent asthma with high likelihood of year-round inflammation. Leaving this untreated long term can cause scarring and permanent damage.
Before we up and move to escape, there are many things that can be done rather than pile on long term drugs or suffering.
The best treatment is awareness of asthma symptoms, a plan to deal with baseline underlying inflammation and plan for when symptoms occur. It is paramount to identify the allergic triggers and causes of underlying swelling making someone susceptible. Environmental controls reduce contributing exposures. Another option is allergy shots, which can naturally turn off the body’s overreaction to harmless allergens, and reduce the massive amounts of chemicals released with exposures. Anyone on daily chronic steroid medications, having decreased activities or quality of life should be tested. For those still breaking through, there are newer biologic medications, although these can be expensive, and are often needed lifelong — while the majority of people can stop allergy shots in five years with continued long term benefit after stopping!
Albert S. Hartel, M.D., specializes in pediatric and adult allergy and immunology. He is the president of Allergy Asthma Immunology of Rochester. For more information, visit https://aair.info or call 585-442-0150.