Navigating Allergies During the Holidays
Dr. Amita Harish discusses navigating and minimizing allergies during the holidays.
Featured Speaker:
Amitha Harish, MD Southern New Hampshire Health
Amitha Harish, MD is a Board-Certified Allergist and Immunologist. She completed her fellowship at the Mayo Clinic and has been practicing in New Hampshire since 2010. She enjoys seeing both adults and children for a variety of conditions including asthma, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and chronic hives. She is the past president of the New Hampshire Allergy Society. Transcription:
Navigating Allergies During the Holidays
Alyne: This holiday season, with COVID-19 cases on the rise, every sniffle is cause for alarm. Is it COVID-19, a
common cold, or maybe allergies? Dr. Amitha Harish is here today to explain the precautions you should
take to protect yourself against COVID-19 this holiday season, and ways to keep your allergies at bay.
This is the Solution Health podcast from Solution Health. I'm Alyne Ellis. Welcome Dr. Harish. Thanks for joining me today
Dr. Amitha Harish: Thank you for having me today.
Alyne: There's a tendency for allergies to spike during the holidays, and why is that?
Dr. Amitha Harish: We finally escape seasonal pollen allergies at the end of the fall. And as we head indoors, what we see is that there's a frequent rise in perennial allergens, which include animal dander and dust mites. That combined with this being a festive time of year, everyone's celebrating, relaxed, usually with family and friends, with that spirit comes certain risk factors, parties, a lot of eating, decorating, so things that we enjoy, but can sometimes allow us to get our guard down a little bit.
Alyne: And there are some common holiday triggers, I guess.
Dr. Amitha Harish: Yes. of major ones is food is usually out everywhere. And with that, comes a risk for people with food allergies. It can be for adults too, but we frequently see with children, someone has a platter of cookies out or there's a nut bowl out somewhere and well-meaning guests or relatives just haven't checked ingredient lists because they don't live with this every day.
In addition to food allergies, there are some other things that can trigger those symptoms. I already mentioned pets being a risk factor. Dust mites are increased in the winter time, but also live Christmas trees. Many people are concerned about pine allergies and while they do exist, they're not that common. It's usually mold spores that trigger symptoms with live Christmas trees. And then there are other irritants. So not necessarily allergens, but things like scented candles and fire smoke. While this is a fun and a comfy cozy time of year, it can also bring out some flags for people who suffer from asthma and allergies.
Alyne: Can stress trigger an allergy?
Dr. Amitha Harish: Not necessarily trigger an allergy in that sense, but if you have uncontrolled asthma, for example it can put you more at risk. The other thing stress can do, addition to just, like I mentioned, this holiday spirit festive time busy time of year is having people forget their routines. Like taking allergy medications or asthma medications or forgetting their EpiPen at home. So those are some things that can be triggers.
Alyne: So how can you be proactive in minimizing these triggers?
Dr. Amitha Harish: Definitely if you are on asthma or allergy medications, remember to take them routinely. Don't lapse in your medication that's been prescribed. Certainly from a standpoint of minimizing dust and pet allergens, if you are going to someone's house who may have a pet, make sure you premedicate, avoid touching the animals, certainly. And if you do touch the animals, remember to wash your hands and don't touch your face. The other thing was dust is just, your own homes, frequent vacuuming, frequent dusting, wash bedding in the hottest water setting possible Removing stuffed animals or any kind of clutter, all of these can help reduce dust mite levels.
Alyne: So when should someone seek an evaluation from an allergist with a problem?
Dr. Amitha Harish: So a good time to seek an allergist to further evaluate your symptoms is if you're trying over-the-counter medications and they don't seem to be working, or you have these cold symptoms that never seem to go away. Another time to consider seeing an allergist is if you're using a rescue inhaler that may have been prescribed at an immediate care or through your primary care, and you're using it more than twice a week and your symptoms are still not controlled. That would be a good time to get this looked at. And I think that either way, if you're suspecting allergies, it's always important to have your triggers evaluated, because there are oftentimes where people have suspected allergies and there's something else going on and they've been taking the wrong medications or self-diagnosing and self-treating. So having the testing, having an expert make an assessment is always helpful.
Alyne: So switching gears to the big thing that we're all thinking about right now, COVID-19, how do you think that'll factor into people's family plans this season?
Dr. Amitha Harish: I think the first thing that everyone needs to do is a risk-benefit assessment. This year is not like previous years. Many of us will not be heading home or celebrating with our larger families. And if people are making plans to see family members, determine if there's anyone high risk or with pre-existing conditions in their family that may affect plans.
Where are people traveling from? Where will they stay? Following state guidelines is important. Keeping gatherings less than 10 people, so keeping them small. Making sure that if you do get together with people, can you adhere to social distancing, mask wearing and frequent hand hygiene? I think that those are all important things to consider.
Many people have probably seen in the news that Fauci, Anthony Fauci, will not be seeing his three daughters for the holidays this year. While it does put a damper on the festive spirit, I think that also protecting yourself and protecting your loved ones is also important. But also sure you take steps, that you can do to keep yourself healthy. So make sure everybody gets a flu shot this year.
One thing that we have been able to tell patients so far is currently there's no strong evidence that there is an increased infection rate in terms of COVID for those with asthma, but per CDC guidelines, they do say that if you have moderate to severe asthma, there is a slightly higher potential of getting sick. So if your asthma is uncontrolled and you do have moderate to severe persistent asthma, make sure that your doctor is seeing you. And as I mentioned before, taking your medications, doing all the things you normally would to keep your asthma in check.
Alyne: So, if we do decide to have people over for a holiday, do you suggest that everyone wear a mask in the house?
Dr. Amitha Harish: Being indoors certainly increases risks. So definitely consider wearing a mask, like I said, maintaining distance. If the weather permits, can windows and doors be kept open? Things that can improve the ventilation. All of these can help bring the risk down. So there is not a one-size-fits all plan, but certainly I think following things that we know help reduce risk, such as mask-wearing and hand-washing and distancing. If those are done, they can certainly lower your risk of catching COVID-19, especially as we move into the cold and flu season and there has also been concern about asymptomatic transmission.
Alyne: You know, in these troubled times when we do start to get any kind of symptom, I'm sure many of us wonder what is it? Is it our allergy acting up? Is it the flu? Is it a new allergy or is it COVID? What would you say to help us to think through that?
Dr. Amitha Harish: There are certainly a lot of cross-sectional symptoms that can present in the flu that can present in COVID and sometimes even mimic allergies, but then there's some things that are much more allergic versus infectious. And so I think that seeing your doctor or at least giving them a call, they'll be able to triage you. And particularly if you are concerned about allergies, a lot of people are doing telehealth visit right now, too. So if you're not sure at least that assessment can initially be made and then triaging you from there. Do you need a COVID test? Do you need an asthma test? Do you need allergy testing? Those things can be decided without necessarily putting anyone at increased risk.
One of the things that has really come to the forefront since this pandemic that has been positive has been the widespread use of telehealth. And it has some limitations, it also has really increased access to care and been very helpful for many patients while keeping them and the medical staff safe as well.
Alyne: Thanks so much for this great info, Dr. Harish. I'm sure that it can help many of us have a much healthier holiday season.
Dr. Amitha Harish: Thank you.
Alyne: Dr. Amitha Harish is an allergist and immunologist at Southern New Hampshire Health.
For more information, please visit SolutionHealth.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is the Solution Health podcast from Solution Health. Thanks, and we'll talk next time.
Navigating Allergies During the Holidays
Alyne: This holiday season, with COVID-19 cases on the rise, every sniffle is cause for alarm. Is it COVID-19, a
common cold, or maybe allergies? Dr. Amitha Harish is here today to explain the precautions you should
take to protect yourself against COVID-19 this holiday season, and ways to keep your allergies at bay.
This is the Solution Health podcast from Solution Health. I'm Alyne Ellis. Welcome Dr. Harish. Thanks for joining me today
Dr. Amitha Harish: Thank you for having me today.
Alyne: There's a tendency for allergies to spike during the holidays, and why is that?
Dr. Amitha Harish: We finally escape seasonal pollen allergies at the end of the fall. And as we head indoors, what we see is that there's a frequent rise in perennial allergens, which include animal dander and dust mites. That combined with this being a festive time of year, everyone's celebrating, relaxed, usually with family and friends, with that spirit comes certain risk factors, parties, a lot of eating, decorating, so things that we enjoy, but can sometimes allow us to get our guard down a little bit.
Alyne: And there are some common holiday triggers, I guess.
Dr. Amitha Harish: Yes. of major ones is food is usually out everywhere. And with that, comes a risk for people with food allergies. It can be for adults too, but we frequently see with children, someone has a platter of cookies out or there's a nut bowl out somewhere and well-meaning guests or relatives just haven't checked ingredient lists because they don't live with this every day.
In addition to food allergies, there are some other things that can trigger those symptoms. I already mentioned pets being a risk factor. Dust mites are increased in the winter time, but also live Christmas trees. Many people are concerned about pine allergies and while they do exist, they're not that common. It's usually mold spores that trigger symptoms with live Christmas trees. And then there are other irritants. So not necessarily allergens, but things like scented candles and fire smoke. While this is a fun and a comfy cozy time of year, it can also bring out some flags for people who suffer from asthma and allergies.
Alyne: Can stress trigger an allergy?
Dr. Amitha Harish: Not necessarily trigger an allergy in that sense, but if you have uncontrolled asthma, for example it can put you more at risk. The other thing stress can do, addition to just, like I mentioned, this holiday spirit festive time busy time of year is having people forget their routines. Like taking allergy medications or asthma medications or forgetting their EpiPen at home. So those are some things that can be triggers.
Alyne: So how can you be proactive in minimizing these triggers?
Dr. Amitha Harish: Definitely if you are on asthma or allergy medications, remember to take them routinely. Don't lapse in your medication that's been prescribed. Certainly from a standpoint of minimizing dust and pet allergens, if you are going to someone's house who may have a pet, make sure you premedicate, avoid touching the animals, certainly. And if you do touch the animals, remember to wash your hands and don't touch your face. The other thing was dust is just, your own homes, frequent vacuuming, frequent dusting, wash bedding in the hottest water setting possible Removing stuffed animals or any kind of clutter, all of these can help reduce dust mite levels.
Alyne: So when should someone seek an evaluation from an allergist with a problem?
Dr. Amitha Harish: So a good time to seek an allergist to further evaluate your symptoms is if you're trying over-the-counter medications and they don't seem to be working, or you have these cold symptoms that never seem to go away. Another time to consider seeing an allergist is if you're using a rescue inhaler that may have been prescribed at an immediate care or through your primary care, and you're using it more than twice a week and your symptoms are still not controlled. That would be a good time to get this looked at. And I think that either way, if you're suspecting allergies, it's always important to have your triggers evaluated, because there are oftentimes where people have suspected allergies and there's something else going on and they've been taking the wrong medications or self-diagnosing and self-treating. So having the testing, having an expert make an assessment is always helpful.
Alyne: So switching gears to the big thing that we're all thinking about right now, COVID-19, how do you think that'll factor into people's family plans this season?
Dr. Amitha Harish: I think the first thing that everyone needs to do is a risk-benefit assessment. This year is not like previous years. Many of us will not be heading home or celebrating with our larger families. And if people are making plans to see family members, determine if there's anyone high risk or with pre-existing conditions in their family that may affect plans.
Where are people traveling from? Where will they stay? Following state guidelines is important. Keeping gatherings less than 10 people, so keeping them small. Making sure that if you do get together with people, can you adhere to social distancing, mask wearing and frequent hand hygiene? I think that those are all important things to consider.
Many people have probably seen in the news that Fauci, Anthony Fauci, will not be seeing his three daughters for the holidays this year. While it does put a damper on the festive spirit, I think that also protecting yourself and protecting your loved ones is also important. But also sure you take steps, that you can do to keep yourself healthy. So make sure everybody gets a flu shot this year.
One thing that we have been able to tell patients so far is currently there's no strong evidence that there is an increased infection rate in terms of COVID for those with asthma, but per CDC guidelines, they do say that if you have moderate to severe asthma, there is a slightly higher potential of getting sick. So if your asthma is uncontrolled and you do have moderate to severe persistent asthma, make sure that your doctor is seeing you. And as I mentioned before, taking your medications, doing all the things you normally would to keep your asthma in check.
Alyne: So, if we do decide to have people over for a holiday, do you suggest that everyone wear a mask in the house?
Dr. Amitha Harish: Being indoors certainly increases risks. So definitely consider wearing a mask, like I said, maintaining distance. If the weather permits, can windows and doors be kept open? Things that can improve the ventilation. All of these can help bring the risk down. So there is not a one-size-fits all plan, but certainly I think following things that we know help reduce risk, such as mask-wearing and hand-washing and distancing. If those are done, they can certainly lower your risk of catching COVID-19, especially as we move into the cold and flu season and there has also been concern about asymptomatic transmission.
Alyne: You know, in these troubled times when we do start to get any kind of symptom, I'm sure many of us wonder what is it? Is it our allergy acting up? Is it the flu? Is it a new allergy or is it COVID? What would you say to help us to think through that?
Dr. Amitha Harish: There are certainly a lot of cross-sectional symptoms that can present in the flu that can present in COVID and sometimes even mimic allergies, but then there's some things that are much more allergic versus infectious. And so I think that seeing your doctor or at least giving them a call, they'll be able to triage you. And particularly if you are concerned about allergies, a lot of people are doing telehealth visit right now, too. So if you're not sure at least that assessment can initially be made and then triaging you from there. Do you need a COVID test? Do you need an asthma test? Do you need allergy testing? Those things can be decided without necessarily putting anyone at increased risk.
One of the things that has really come to the forefront since this pandemic that has been positive has been the widespread use of telehealth. And it has some limitations, it also has really increased access to care and been very helpful for many patients while keeping them and the medical staff safe as well.
Alyne: Thanks so much for this great info, Dr. Harish. I'm sure that it can help many of us have a much healthier holiday season.
Dr. Amitha Harish: Thank you.
Alyne: Dr. Amitha Harish is an allergist and immunologist at Southern New Hampshire Health.
For more information, please visit SolutionHealth.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is the Solution Health podcast from Solution Health. Thanks, and we'll talk next time.