SNEEZIN' SEASON ALLERGY SUFFERERS CLOG DOCTOR'S OFFICES.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer Record rains have spawned a rainbow of wildflowers - and a bumper crop In agriculture, a bumper crop refers to a particularly good harvest yielded for a particular crop. Example: "With all the rain we've had over the last few months, we are expecting a bumper crop this year. of runny noses to hail the onset of Southern California's allergy season. As the blooms let fly a barrage of pollen, Los Angeles residents have flocked to medical offices and drugstores seeking relief for nasal drips, reddened eyes and itchy itch·y adj. Having or causing an itching sensation. hives hives (urticaria), rash consisting of blotches or localized swellings (wheals) of the skin, caused by an allergic reaction (see allergy). The swelling is caused by distention of the skin capillaries and escape of serum and white cells into the skin and tissues. . ``Miserable - you can't breathe, your throat is burning,'' said Robert Anderson, 61, of Studio City, whose stuffed-up nose, itchy eyes and irritated throat led him to join a crush of patients at the Northridge Allergy & Asthma Center in Granada Hills. ``I just couldn't get rid of it. Last year I had nothing, absolutely nothing. This has been an unusual year.'' Unusual indeed. The second-wettest year on record has brought a lush blanket of green - and a floral celebration able to tease even the hardiest throats and schnozzes. In the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , such pollen from walnut and ash trees, ragweed ragweed, any plant of the genus Ambrosia, coarse, weedy herbs belonging to the family Asteraceae (aster family), most of which are native to America. They have inconspicuous greenish flowers and soft subdivided leaves. and rye grass rye grass, short-lived perennial, leafy, tufted plant belonging to the family Gramineae (grass family). Two species are grown in the United States—Italian rye grass (Lolium multiflorum have been especially hard on hay fever hay fever, seasonal allergy causing inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose and eyes. It is characterized by itching about the eyes and nose, sneezing, a profuse watery nasal discharge, and tearing of the eyes. and asthma sufferers. ``Look at this - look at how much pollen is blowing by,'' said Dr. Jacob Offenberger, a Granada Hills and Northridge Hospital allergist al·ler·gist n. A physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. allergist Immunology A physician, who is often trained in both internal medicine and clinical immunology and who manages Pts with staring at a blur of leaves streaming by his third-story allergy-center window. ``People will get sick.'' Offenberger said the sun and warm weather after the rains has added to the hay-fever peril. Since allergy season started this month, he's seen a 15 percent to 20 percent increase in the number of patients. Other doctors and pharmacists have also witnessed the rush. ``This is the season, and it's incredible,'' said Dr. Zab Mosenifar - the director of pulmonary and critical care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a world-renowned hospital located in Los Angeles, California. History Cedars-Sinai is the result of a merger in 1961 between two major Los Angeles hospitals, Cedars of Lebanon and Mount Sinai Home for the Incurables, with Steve Broidy as in Los Angeles - whose patient load has spiked. ``The last incidence like this was seven or eight years (ago) when El Nino caused heavy, extended rainfall and, as a result, a significant increase in allergy symptoms.'' In the past three weeks, pharmacists at Rite Aid in Woodland Hills report a marked increase in patients seeking such over-the-counter allergy remedies as Claritin and Benadryl. Each year, 36 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies caused by pollen and outdoor mold, with 6.7 million doctor's office visits, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Collectively, they spend $6 billion on drugs and doctors and cost employers more than $250 million in lost work. In Southern California, the allergy season generally runs from March through November, according to allergists. In late winter and early spring, winds blow pollen from walnut, ash, sycamore and oak trees, among others. But the onslaught of pollenating grasses and weeds each summer is beginning now, they say, as are the outdoor and indoor molds that often follow rain. ``Avoidance is No. 1, but there are limits to what you can advise,'' Mosenifar said. ``You can't tell someone to move from their home or job - that's just not practical. A more realistic approach is to minimize exposure and to treat symptoms.'' For Cheryl Stabler of Newhall, it's meant a series of allergy shots allergy shots See Desensitization therapy. and medicine that she said staved off the noxious perfume of spring. Of the spectacular wildflowers carpeting nearby hillsides, she said, ``It's kind of sad such pretty things cause such havoc.'' Dana Bartholomew, (818) 713-3730 dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) Elaine Toledo, left, and Fonia Humphries push little Tyler Humphries on a walk near towering springtime grass. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer (2) Jesse Cole, 11, receives an allergy shot from medical assistant Maria Ortega at Dr. Jacob Offenberger's office. John McCoy/Staff Photographer Box: (1) HAY FEVER Source: Allergy Guide, Allergy Resource Center 2005 KRT KRT Knight Ridder/Tribune KRT Keratin KRT Knights of the Round Table (Diablo gaming guild) KRT Khartoum, Sudan - Civil (Airport Code) KRT Kleene's Recursion Theorem (2) ALLERGY SURVIVAL |
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