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Allergies: Nowhere to hide

Short of living in a plastic bubble, there's no sure way to avoid pollen.

We go through life maintaining control over our careers, our relationships and our TV remotes. Then along comes an unseen, unheard, intangible thing that reduces us to a pile of wheezing, sneezing, miserable mush.

An allergy is an abnormal reaction of the immune system to an otherwise harmless substance that -- when breathed in, ingested or brought into contact with skin -- results in sneezing, rashes, hives, itchy eyes, a swollen throat or other woes. About one-fifth of Americans have allergies.

Short of living in a plastic bubble, there's no sure-fire way to avoid allergies. It's difficult to breathe only the "right" stuff when so much in our universe is both good and bad. Pollen counts soar, so we long for rain. Then, a storm washes away that annoyance, only to fortify equally disruptive mold and grass.

Right now, ragweed pollen is enemy No. 1 in the Midwest and East, where spring rains and a hot summer have guaranteed a hefty onslaught. Texas, the West Coast and other dry areas will get a lighter load in October and November, and Washington and Oregon likely won't get ragweed at all.

Many people with pollen allergies assume they'll find refuge in urban areas. But plants that grow in urban areas take in more carbon dioxide, making them big pollen producers. Now, researchers are trying to determine whether pollen-related allergies actually are worse in cities than in the suburbs or the country.

Although there's no real escape from airborne allergens, if you're predisposed to having allergies -- if your doctor says you're "atopic" -- you may want to move to a dry, moderate climate where pollen counts are lower.

Other tips on handling airborne allergies:

If you're a parent, don't seal up your kids in a spotless house to protect them from allergens. Scientists say childhood exposure to dirt could train T-cells, the infantry soldiers of the immune system, to bulk up against air and dirt allergens that will be breathed later in life.

Visit an allergist and get tested so you are certain what you are reacting to. Consider getting allergy shots.

Check the National Allergy Bureau's Pollen Line before going out for the day: Call 1-800-976-5536 or go to www.aaaai.org/nab.

Keep your lawn manicured, and wear a mask when doing yardwork.

Always shower, wash hair and change clothes after outdoor activities.

Don't hang bedsheets outside to dry.

In the car and at home, keep windows closed and air conditioning on, even in beautiful weather or at night.

-- Dennis McCafferty and Frappa Stout

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"We used to say ragweed never got over the Rocky Mountains," says Linda Ford, an allergist in Omaha, Neb., and spokesperson for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. "Now it does, and it's spreading."

Here's the year-long forecast:

Tree pollen will be the culprit from winter to summer, except in Florida, where special species pollinate all year round. A warmer, earlier spring will make this one a bear, unless the rain follows quickly to wash it away. The grass season is next, stretching from spring to summer in the northern United States, spring to fall in the South. Grass pollen likes a lot of water, so a warm, dry summer is what is needed to cut this season short. The weeds should hit in late spring or summer, overlapping with ragweed. If the winter was mild, they will last into fall.

Weather has a direct affect on the intensity of the seasons, but other, more humanly factors contribute as well.

"Mother Nature is pretty predictable; what we do to her isn't," Ford says.

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