SATURDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- Spring is here, and so is allergy season for millions of Americans.
With a bit of planning, effort and common sense, many people can limit their suffering or perhaps even avoid it altogether, according to Dr. Mark Dykewicz, professor of internal medicine and chief of allergy and clinical immunology at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
For the most part, seasonal allergies are caused by airborne pollens -- very fine powder released by trees, grasses and weeds as they pollinate and fertilize other plants of the same kind. Molds in outdoor air can also contribute to seasonal allergies.
Although outdoor allergens can be present year-round in warmer climates, allergy season generally begins in late winter or early spring and runs through late summer or early fall. As the season progresses, different types of pollens are present to trigger allergic reactions, Dykewicz said.
Dykewicz cited five important steps that help anyone prevent or relieve symptoms when pollen or mold counts are peaking:
- Use over-the-counter antihistamines for relief. For some people, these drugs are very effective at reducing the classic symptoms of seasonal allergies, including sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and scratchy throat. Be aware that some older-generation antihistamines, such as Benadryl, can cause sleepiness and the impairment of thinking and driving. More recent formulations tend to cause no drowsiness (Claritin, for example) or less drowsiness (Zyrtec), Dykewicz said.
- Keep your home's doors and windows closed. You can't completely seal off your home, but keeping doors and windows closed can help prevent pollens and outdoor molds from entering. As the weather turns nicer, use the air conditioner rather than opening a window to bring in "fresh" air.
- Limit outdoor activity, particularly in the morning. Avoid being outdoors, especially to exercise, when pollen counts are high, or on windy days when pollen and molds are being blown about. In general, pollen counts are highest from about 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- When traveling by car, keep the windows up. Again, this helps keep out pollens, dust and mold.
- Take a shower and change clothes. Pollen can collect on clothes and in your hair, so when you've been outside for any significant amount of time, shower and change into fresh clothes as soon as you get home.
If you've followed those steps and you're still suffering, then it is time to see a doctor, Dykewicz said.
A variety of prescription medications can help reduce or block seasonal allergy symptoms, he said. These include other oral antihistamines and several classes of nasal sprays. Nasal sprays tend to be the most effective at relieving symptoms by helping reduce inflammation and counteracting the allergic response.
For harder-to-treat cases, Dykewicz said many patients benefit from allergy immunotherapy -- a long-term series of shots to desensitize a patient from specific allergens.
The good news is there's a lot you and your doctor can do to help relieve or prevent suffering caused by allergies, Dykewicz said in a prepared statement.
More information
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation has more about outdoor seasonal allergies 
.
FRIDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Diabetes, the leading cause of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and non-traumatic amputations, can also cause the lungs to deteriorate quicker than they normally do with age, a new study shows.
Although everyone experiences a decline in lung function as they grow older, research published in the April issue of Diabetes Care concluded that the lungs of people with type 2 diabetes deteriorate more quickly than normal.
The Johns Hopkins team that conducted the research, part of a larger investigation known as the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, found in previous research that reduced lung function predicted and preceded the development of type 2 diabetes.
In this latest study, there was an average difference of 6 millimeters more decline per year in forced vital capacity (FVC), a measure of how well the lungs fill with air, said study author Hsin-Chieh Jessica Yeh.
The scientists suggest the accelerated reduction in forced vital capacity (FVC) found in people with diabetes could be the result of high blood sugar levels stiffening lung tissue or fatty tissue in the chest and abdomen restricting the lungs.
The ARIC is a prospective cohort study of 15,792 adults from four U.S. communities. The present analysis, which looked at 1,100 diabetics and 10,162 non-diabetics, was based on three years of follow-up.
"This study confirms the results of five previous studies, which demonstrated lower lung function in diabetic subjects compared with their non-diabetic counterparts," said Dr. Guillermo E. Umpierrez, an associate professor of medicine at Emory University and section head of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the Grady Health System, both in Atlanta. "These studies also demonstrated a higher annual rate of lung function decline in the diabetic compared with the non-diabetic population. Although the information is not novel, this report enhances recognition of the lung as a target of diabetic injury."
Most of the diabetic participants in the current study had type 2 diabetes, so the scientists were not able to look at decreases in lung function among type 1 diabetics, who have to use insulin on a daily basis.
"On the other hand, we found diabetes severity, as indicated by intensity of anti-diabetic treatment, was associated with greater rate of FVC decline. Patients on insulin treatment, alone or with oral medications, had the greatest decline in forced vital capacity compared to their non-diabetic counterparts," Yeh explained.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Connie Hsia, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, cautioned that using inhaled insulin might trigger or exacerbate the pulmonary dysfunction found in people with diabetes.
"However, since none of our study participants were on inhaled insulin, our study did not have direct implications on the use or absorption of inhaled insulin," Yeh said.
Umpierrez pointed out that the use of inhaled insulin needs more study. "The future of inhaled insulin for treatment of diabetes is uncertain; however, some pharmaceutical companies continue to investigate the safety and efficacy of inhaled insulin as an alternative of insulin injections," he noted.
Diminished lung capacity may lead to lower oxygen delivery to all body tissues, he noted, although the drop in lung function among diabetics in this study appears to be small. However, in elderly patients with long-standing diabetes, impairment of lung capacity could worsen the risks of adverse outcomes should the elderly diabetic develop pneumonia, heart failure, volume overload or vascular complications, he added.
"Traditionally, the lung is not treated as a target organ for diabetes complication. Based on the current study, we suggest physicians add lung function on the watch list as they care for their diabetes patients," Yeh said.
More information
For more on diabetes, visit the American Diabetes
Association .