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Sep 30, 2008 5:52 pm US/Central
Ragweed Allergies Taking Toll On North Texans
NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
It's one of the worst allergies in North Texas – ragweed and this time of year a lot of people are feeling the symptoms. Allergy experts say it may be one of the worst seasons ever.
Right now ragweed is blooming in North Texas and, perhaps surprisingly, the kind of fruits you eat can make the problem worse.
Ragweed levels won't fall until the first freeze. But allergy sufferers won't get much of break because cedar levels will start to rise by November.
You know the symptoms – sneezing, itchy watery eyes and a runny nose. "It is miserable," North Texan Dana Bucknam said. For many allergy sufferers the culprit is ragweed.
Dr. Rene Leon's office is packed with patients dealing with the problem. Patient Molly Bucknam says her problems, "…started after school. End of school sort of."
Molly and her mom Dana are looking for relief. The pair says they've tried just about everything. 'I've changed medication and changed the frequency of how often I take it," Dana explained.
Dr. Leon says your diet and certain fruits can affect your ragweed allergy problems. He recommends avoiding bananas, cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew melons. According to the physician the dietary adjustments may not be necessary year-round. "Sometimes people can ingest fruits during the low allergy season and not have any problems," Leon said. "[But] during the peak ragweed season they will tend to have more problems with that issue."
To combat the problem Leon advises patients to start early on those medications, stay inside on high pollen count days and if the problem is really serious try allergy injections.
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