Fact or fiction? The truth about allergies & asthma

According to Dr. Mamlok, who is also a clinical associate professor of allergy and immunology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, fever is rarely a symptom of seasonal allergies, also known as “hay fever.” If your temperature is high, you’re more likely to have a cold or upper respiratory ailment such as sinus infection.

Cigarette smoke can aggravate hay fever as well as asthma because it irritates nasal passages and, if inhaled, affects lung function, which may already be impaired by the hay fever or asthma.

“Saline is basically salt water,” Dr. Mamlok adds. “When sprayed in the nose, it really can help reduce allergy symptoms by flushing allergens and excess mucus from the nasal passages.” Saline sprays, which are readily available in any drug store, can be spritzed into your nostrils throughout the day, and especially at night.

While a cure for allergies is still being researched and asthma is still not yet curable, the severity of your reactions can certainly be managed. One of the best ways to help control these illnesses is to work with your doctor to determine the allergens that bother you and the factors that aggravate your asthma.

All of these factors can trigger asthma. And depending on the airborne allergens that bother you, changes in weather can cause hay fever symptoms to spiral out of control. (For example, people who are allergic to mold may have a flare-up after rain.)