FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Each week we receive many questions regarding allergy and asthma. Here are a few of them and Dr. Lee's answers.

Q. My five year old son has had a cough and chest congestion since early September. He has been treated for a chest cold, but is getting worse. What should we do?

A. Whenever a chest cold lasts for more than a few weeks, the possibility of asthma should be considered.

Asthma is a relatively common disease. About 5% of the children in the United States have asthma at some point in their childhood. The symptoms of asthma include wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing.

Sometimes, a cough and chest congestion are the only symptoms of asthma, making it difficult to distinguish from a chest cold. In this case, a lung function test and the microscopic examination of the sputum would be very useful in differentiating between asthma and a chest cold. If it turns out that your son has asthma, he will need proper asthma medications, including bronchodilators and inflammation reducing agents.

About 90% of asthma in children is related to allergies. At this time of the year, ragweed allergy is a common cause of asthma flare-ups and can be easily diagnosed by skin tests.

For more information about asthma, please call our office for an appointment.

Q. Every fall I have a runny nose and nasal congestion for about two months. I take over the counter antihistamines, but they don't provide complete relief and are only effective temporarily. In addition, these antihistamines make me sleepy. Are there better treatments available?
A. It is very likely that you are allergic to ragweed and other weed which pollinate in the fall. In Texas, ragweed season starts in early September and continues until the first freeze. This fall the ragweed pollen count is expected to be extraordinarily high because of heavy rainfall earlier this year.
 

The diagnosis of ragweed allergy can easily be made by skin testing and the microscopic examination of nasal secretions.

There are new types of antihistamines available that do not cause drowsiness and are longer acting than conventional antihistamines. I would also recommend the regular use of a corticosteroid nose spray during the ragweed season. This nose spray treats and prevents the allergic inflammation that is the main cause of hay fever symptoms. Steroid nose spray is free of systemic side effects and is not addictive. Immunotherapy (allergy shots) is indicated if symptoms persist despite these medications