The small, green buds which have begun to appear on trees around campus signal the start of more than spring for some students. They also signal the start of their spring and summer allergies.
Deciduous trees release their pollens in April and early May, said Frances Friedman, a doctor and allergist at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Grass season lasts from mid-May through June, and ragweed allergens are active from August until winter, she said.
"My allergies tend to get pretty bad in late April, early May," Chris White '97 said. He describes himself as allergic to "dust, mites, pollen, mold ... everything."
Many people are not aware they have allergies, Friedman said. "If you tend to get a bad cold every May, then there's a good chance you have an allergy," she said. Cold symptoms that last a full season could also be an allergy, she added.
"I usually have trouble breathing through my nose, sneezing, and sometimes a runny nose," LaBriece Roddy '94 said. Nasal congestion is the main symptom of allergies, according to Friedman.
This year has not been extremely bad for allergies so far because the cold weather has kept pollen counts down, Friedman said. It has been a colder spring than last year, which "was the worst tree season here I can remember in 20 years," she said.
Allergy symptoms appear when the body's immune system confuses harmless substances, like pollen, with harmful ones it would normally attack. This triggers the release of histamines, which in turn causes the allergic reaction.
Allergy sufferers may find relief from two forms of over-the-counter medicines -- one that treats the cause and one that treats the symptoms.
Antihistamines, which act to block the histamines, work well but occasionally cause drowsiness in some people, Friedman said.
Decongestants, which come in a variety of forms and brands, provide some relief from symptoms. Some over-the-counter products are combinations of antihistamines and decongestants.
Prescription antihistamines are more costly but generally do not cause any side effects, Friedman said.
There are three main prescription drugs for allergies, the most well known of which is called Seldane. These are generally more popular than the non-prescription forms but cost about a dollar per pill, said Edward Gherardi, a pharmacist at Eastman's Pharmacy.
But for some, nothing seems to work.
"I have found nothing that worked for me," said Roddy, who took a prescription pill for several weeks.
White has tried Seldane and said the drug worked but admitted he usually does not take it. "I usually just suffer through," he said. He also acknowledged that Sudafed, an over-the-counter decongestant, sometimes works.
Dick's House said it has received 92 visits for allergy injections so far this term, and 19 visits for allergy problems in general. A variety of medications can be obtained at Dick's House.
Sales of allergy medications at Eastman's have not increased much this season, said Gherardi, indicating that the season has been mild for allergy sufferers.
