East Indy News

As climate change drives longer pollen seasons and worsening allergies, experts are recommending that individuals undergo allergy testing to help pinpoint the root cause of various nasal and sinus conditions.

Allergy testing can help determine if allergies are an underlying factor in contributing to many nasal and sinus conditions, such as chronic sinusitis, which can cause nasal congestion, drainage, postnasal drainage, facial pain or pressure, decreased sense of smell and fatigue. 

"Allergy testing is the important adjunct in the diagnosis of your nasal and sinus conditions," Indianapolis Sinus Center's Dr. Anthony Sanders said. 

New allergy treatments are replacing traditional allergy treatments, which were commonly done with weekly allergy shots administered in-person at a clinic. 

"We also have the alternative of home sublingual immunotherapy, where a drop of serum is placed under the tongue once a day to take the place of allergy injections, which frequently requires an office visit every week," Sanders said. 

Allergies are worsening as climate change and global warming is causing longer pollen seasons, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"Human-caused climate change could impact respiratory health, including asthma and allergies, through temperature-driven increases in airborne pollen," the study said. "Our results indicate that human-caused climate change has already worsened North American pollen seasons, and climate-driven pollen trends are likely to further exacerbate respiratory health impacts in coming decades."

Allergies are an underlying factor in 40 to 67% of patients with chronic sinusitis and in as many as 80% of patients with bilateral sinusitis, according to a study conducted by the UCLA School of Medicine.

Allergies also cause mucosal inflammation, which may cause sinus ostial obstruction, leading to secondary infection, according to an article published in Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology.