Gateway Reporter

• About 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year.
• Allergic reactions can vary from mild irritation to severe discomfort, with symptoms including sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy, watery, or swollen eyes.
• Allergies and sinusitis share many of the same symptoms, often exacerbating each other and making both conditions worse.

With summer in full bloom, it is important to remember how allergies can change with the season and how they can impact someone’s health. According to Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free, allergies and sinusitis issues are interconnected and can cause further complications, including asthma.

“The paranasal sinuses, the nose, and the airway are linked because of airflow, because of their mucosa, and because of how they react to allergens and other agents that could irritate either one,” Dr. Ditto told the Gateway Reporter. “So what we know is that if a patient has allergic rhinitis as a child, and it's not managed, they can then form asthma. Also, we know that with chronic sinusitis with the inflammatory mediators, some believe that that gets into the lungs, and that creates a problem with asthma. So, there's a direct link, and then that can exacerbate asthma.”

While spring allergies may subside as trees and flowers finish blooming, summer allergies triggered by weeds and grasses become the next concern for allergy sufferers. According to WebMD, one of the most common allergy triggers in the summer is ragweed. Its pollen can travel hundreds of miles on the wind, affecting areas far beyond where it originally grew.

The 50 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies may experience sneezing, coughing, congestion, itchy eyes, a runny nose, and fatigue, according to Yale Medicine. 

To diagnose allergies, doctors will typically review a patient’s symptoms and medical history and then recommend either a blood test or a skin test, according to WebMD. For a skin test, the doctor will place a small amount of the allergen on the patient's skin, typically on the forearm or back. If the patient is allergic to that particular allergen, a small, itchy bump will appear.

According to Yale Medicine, the other option is a blood test, where the patient's blood is drawn and analyzed for allergens in a lab. Although this method takes longer, it enables doctors to test for a wider range of allergies compared to a skin test. 

Sinusitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungus and allergies. If symptoms persist for longer than three months, the condition is classified as chronic sinusitis.

According to Richmond Breathe Free's website, Dr. John Ditto earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, where he was recognized for his research. He then received specialized training in ear, nose, and throat disorders at the University of Michigan's Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.