Winter Allergies

By Christine Gorman

Most people don't think of winter as an allergy season. But if you're allergic to dust--or more accurately the mold, pollen, mites and insect parts that linger in dust--winter can be the worst time of year. When the furnace kicks on, all the dust that has settled into your carpet, atop the bookshelves and under the couch gets stirred up and wreaks havoc with your eyes, nose, sinuses and throat.

You and your doctor may dismiss your symptoms as just another winter cold. But while a cold generally lasts as long as 10 days, continued exposure to dust, if you're allergic, can leave you feeling under the weather for weeks or months.

Help is on the way. For the first time, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has gathered experts from 21 professional health associations to develop comprehensive guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. The task force has spent 18 months looking at everything from ear infections to hay fever to allergic reactions to food and drugs. Although the final report won't be published until this summer, its overall conclusions were released last week, and you can obtain a summary by calling the academy at 414-272-6071. Among the findings:

--Frequent upper-respiratory infections--colds, strep throat, middle-ear and sinus infections--may be a sign of undiagnosed allergy. One of the ways the body responds to the tiny particles that trigger allergies is by producing mucus, which turns out to be a terrific medium for trapping and growing viruses and bacteria. Getting rid of the mucus, which means identifying and treating the allergy, makes it much less likely that you will catch those germs in the first place. As a general rule, infants who suffer more than six upper-respiratory infections a year, and school-age children and adults with more than three or four, should be evaluated for allergies.

--More than 75% of children who develop eczema--a skin condition that usually erupts around the mouth, on the inside of the elbow or behind the knee--also suffer an allergic reaction to food, mold or other environmental triggers. The foods that most commonly cause reactions are eggs, milk and peanuts.

Treating allergies doesn't necessarily mean taking medication. "Doctors should first identify the cause of the problem," says Dr. Joel Karlin, an allergist in Lakewood, Colo. "Are there smokers in the house? Is the carpet old and mildewy? Is the dog sleeping on your bed?" Many people find relief simply by changing their environment. If you can't bear to part with Fido, banning him from the bedroom can make a big difference. Special note to folks who are sensitive to ragweed: you may be cross-reactive to chamomile tea as well.

If all else fails, there are effective medical treatments. Allergy shots are good at desensitizing patients to grass, tree and weed pollens. Prescription-strength drugs like antihistamines and inhaled corticosteroids damp down the allergic response. (Caution: long-term use of corticosteroids may lead to changes in the bone, especially in children, and an increased risk of cataracts in adults.) So if you feel as though you've had a cold all winter long, have your doctor run a few allergy tests to see if you need something more than chicken soup.

For more Web resources on allergies, visit www.aaaai.org/public/ or time.com/personal E-mail Christine at gorman@time.com