Down For the Count Spring is here and the time is right for sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and dabbing watery eyes. The pollen count is high…and it's coming to get you. According to a local television news report here in Baltimore, allergy specialists are saying that the most recent pollen count is the highest ever recorded in this region. And I believe it. On dry mornings, our cars are covered in a layer of nature's finest yellow grit. Which is a very minor problem compared to pollen particles that find their way into sensitive nasal passages. The TV report featured a brief interview with a local doctor, identified as an ear, nose and throat specialist. Her suggestions: Filter your air, use over-the-counter allergy treatments, and see your doctor if necessary. No surprises there. But then she added: "Sometimes with these medications, if one is not enough, they might need to be combined." Oh sure! If, for instance, your Claritin isn't working, just add Alavert. More is better, right? Absolutely! Except that Claritin and Alavert contain the same active ingredient: loratadine. So then you'll want to be on the lookout for pounding heartbeat, unusual body movements, headache, and drowsiness, which (according to Medline Plus) are symptoms of loratadine overdose. These adverse reactions are in addition to other typical side effects that include diarrhea, weakness, sleep disturbances, and several symptoms that are identical to hay fever symptoms: itchy eyes, sore throat, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. And if you have THOSE symptoms, you might think you need even MORE medication…and on we go. Just in time for this allergy season, I recently received an e-mail from Paul Duxbury of the UK company that manufactures Nasaleze. In several previous e-Alerts I've told you about Nasaleze, an organic powdered plant extract. When Nasaleze is sniffed into the nostrils, the powder combines with moisture in the nose to create a protective gel which acts as a mucous substitute for hay fever allergy patients who lack the natural mucous that filters air and blocks allergens in the nasal passages. Paul sent me a copy of a new meta-analysis conducted by Professor Patrick J.D. Bouic - a medical microbiology specialist at South Africa's University of Stellenbosch. The analysis examined six Nasaleze trials and will be published in an upcoming issue of The Open Allergy Journal. I've already shared some of those trials with you, such as a 2003 study in which Nasaleze significantly helped allergy patients manage their worst symptoms at the peak of hay fever season. And the following year I told you about a study that tested 40 subjects with perennial allergic rhinitis (which means their allergies can occur at any time). More than 75 percent reported either complete or major relief while using Nasaleze, and an additional 15 percent reported noticeable relief of allergy symptoms. In this new meta-analysis, Prof. Bouic reports: "All of the studies clearly showed efficacy of the cellulose powder in reducing symptoms associated with either seasonal or chronic rhinitis without the need of the patient to make use of pharmaceutical drugs. The most significant findings are that the product is well tolerated, safe and easy to apply." In his conclusions, the professor writes that Nasaleze "stops the sneezing within minutes (response within 0.3 hours) and allows the improvement of air flow into and out of the nasal passages." You can find more information about Nasaleze at nasaleze.com. Sources:
"Doctors: This May be the Worst Allergy Season Ever" Tim Williams, WJZ Television, 4/27/08, wjz.com
"A Systemic Review of the Efficacy and Safety of an Intranasal Cellulose Powder Formulation, Nasaleze, in the Prevention and Management of Allergic Rhinitis" Professor Patrick JD Bouic, University of Stellenbosch, scheduled for publication in The Open Allergy Journal | 
