Jeff Davis | Vent Section Manager

1/24/02

The flu I caught over Winter Break left me with a delightful case of post-nasal drip.  For the privileged few of you who haven't experienced the hell that is post nasal drip, it's a condition where mucus slides down your esophagus and into your lungs, your chest gets clogged up with snot, you cough so hard your body shakes and your throat builds up a huge lump like you want to cry all the time.  That wasn't the worst of it, though.  With the dry weather and dust everywhere and no time to get my immunotherapy, my allergies moved in like cysts for the long haul.

When I get severe allergy symptoms, I can't do anything.  I don't have an appetite, I have no energy, and worst of all I get into a crabby mood. It's no good for me or anyone around me.

I thought I had it bad until I talked with Maggie Sellmansberger, a junior at RU.  Her allergies have led to several minor changes in RU facilities. "Dining Services had peanuts on the salad bar for about two weeks," she said.  "I couldn't even walk in the door."  Compared to my allergies to dander, mold, dust and pollen, Maggie's list is as follows: Air, dust, mold, pollen, mushrooms, bleu cheese, histamine (triggered by insect stings, peanuts and sunburns), penicillin, augmentin, ceclor (all drugs), vinegar, dried fruits, horses, cats, dogs, wool and cotton.

Students who know Maggie well know of her "anti-death bag," which carries Benadryl, an inhaler, her epi-pen which when jammed into her leg delivers medicine to her bloodstream, and phone numbers.  Histamines pose the most threat to her.  When exposed, she drinks a large portion of Benadryl (the only over-the-counter drug she'll use) followed by her inhaler and repeats as necessary.  "If I feel myself starting to go into shock, which can usually be avoided if I catch it early enough, I use my epi-pen and call 911," Maggie says.

According to John Brown, an expert in microbiology at the University of Kansas, "allergic responses are linked to our immune system and specifically to antibodies which are proteins produced by our immune system which circulate in our bloodstream and help to remove any substance (toxin) or organism (virus, bacterium) which has invaded our body."  Antibodies bind to a three-dimensional molecule that can be found on complex sugars or proteins, whether or not they are just floating around the body or an important part of the organism.

Whenever an invader makes it way inside the body, the immune system often responds to this by "synthesis of antibodies."  If our bodies make certain antibodies against certain things, we'll be coughing and hacking real soon. Each arm of the Y-shaped antibody has a location which binds to the aforementioned molecules. The bottom leg can also serve to generate certain responses when something else binds to that leg.

This little leg can interact with a cell receptor, a protein in the membrane that acts as glue for pretty much anything it can snatch.  The receptor is located in the membrane of cells named mast cells and basophils. Mast cells reside primarily in our skin and basophils circulate within our bloodstream. As this IgE antibody, one of five classes of antibodies, circulates, it may come in contact with all sorts of things and cause a series of reactions that can release, among other things, histamine.  That pesky chemical is responsible for most rashes and itches you see but can play a wicked game of chess with your bronchial tubes and other vital respiratory organs.

Despite the terrible havoc allergies can wreak on even the healthiest of people, there are plenty of ways to fight them. A host of prescription medicines have been lauded for their ability to lessen symptoms.  The most popular are Zyrtec, Allegra and Claritin.  Lanora Melillo, a student in Metuchen, NJ swears by Sudafed, a relatively inexpensive over-the- counter drug.  "I used to take Claritin but it gave me headaches and once I took Zyrtec but it made me pass out," Lanora says.  As for myself, Aleve Cold & Sinus and Drixoral work the best.

Another avenue for relief from allergies is to undergo immunotherapy, commonly referred to as allergy shots.  A nurse will inject serum, or allergens into the bloodstream to act in a fashion that's similar to a vaccine.  The needles are completely painless and the procedure is covered by most medical plans. An allergist will confer with you on the best shot treatment.  I started out in the seventh grade on two shots a week, and now I'm up to once every three weeks.  If you choose to look into this method of treatment, don't make the mistakes I've made (and for some reason continue to make) and forget to get the shots.  Symptoms can erupt in horrid forms.

In my experience the most effective way to quit breathing through a box of Triscuits is to eat a balanced diet rich in antioxidants and complex carbohydrates, drink plenty of water and get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night. As for Maggie's more severe allergies, she hasn't let them get in the way.  "I tell everyone I know about my allergies.  Education is part of prevention," Maggie says.  "The other changes have to do with perception and view of life."