U of M Expert Alert: Spring Allergies
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (04/22/2024)—As we say goodbye to winter and welcome in spring, it also signals the start of allergy season. The sneezing, itching and watery eyes accompanying spring allergies can overshadow the joy of the season.
Neal Godse, MD, with the University of Minnesota Medical School and M Health Fairview discusses spring allergies symptoms and strategies to keep it under control.
Neal Godse, MD
"Allergic rhinitis, a common condition affecting the nose, results from inflammation triggered by allergens like pollen and dust. Symptoms include congestion, sneezing, runny nose and itchy/watery eyes. If untreated, it can lead to other problems like fatigue, difficulty with focus and poor sleep. Treatment options include oral and topical antihistamines, nasal saline and topical steroid nasal sprays. These medicines help control the inflammation that allergens trigger and relieve symptoms. Be careful with long term use of oral or nasal decongestants. These can lead to damage of the lining of the nose and make issues like high blood pressure worse.”
“I advise patients to start taking an antihistamine and a topical steroid spray on a daily basis a few weeks before their allergy season starts to allow the medicine to build up in the lining of the nose and prevent the allergic inflammation from even starting. When symptoms persist despite these initial medicines, it may be worthwhile to seek evaluation to see whether our more advanced allergy treatment options may be beneficial.”
“My team in the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is focused on understanding the inflammation underlying allergic rhinitis and how it affects patients with other chronic inflammatory diseases of the nose and sinuses. We hope to improve patients' lives by providing targeted, comprehensive treatment for inflammatory disorders of the nose and sinuses."
Contact
Neal Godse, MD
Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
Email: mednews@umn.edu
Download a high resolution photo of Dr. Godse.
Dr. Neal Godse is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School and a rhinologist and skull base surgeon at M Health Fairview. His research focuses on better understanding and treating patients with cancer of the nasal cavity and skull base. He is also interested in the novel applications of emerging technologies to patients with these issues and chronic inflammatory sinus disease.
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