Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1999)
Simple tips can help alleviate allergies Even with high pollen counts, the suffering doesn’t have to continue By G. Jams Oregon Daily Emerald With the thrill of spring comes the agony of allergies. In the spring, summer and fall, pollen is released from trees, grass es and weeds. On its wind-borne journey to fertilize other plants, pollen finds its way into people’s noses, eyes and throats, triggering allergies or hay fever. Warm, sun ny days combine with breezes to trigger high pollen counts. “We are coming into tree pollen season now,” said Judy Moran, a registered nurse at Eugene’s certi fied pollen counting station, which is part of the National Al lergy Network through the Ameri can Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Eugene’s tree pollen count is considered high right now, while counts for grasses and weeds are ei ther very low or none, Moran said. Statistically, about 20 percent of the U.S. population suffers from pollen allergies. Proneness to allergies is a ge netically passed trait that can skip generations, and severity isn’t necessarily passed, so it’s hard to trace, Moran said. “You often hear people say, ‘I was never allergic until I moved to the Willamette Valley,”’ Moran said. “Well, they had that allergic gene that they were bom with, but it’s just taken a series of expo sures. And you get such a grass pollen load here.” Short of staying indoors when the pollen count is high, there is no easy way to avoid wind-borne pollen. But there are some precau tions that people can take to re duce their pollen exposure. Sharon Herbert, nurse manager of the allergy asthma clinic at the Student Health Center, suggested that people shower when they come in for the evening and change clothes and bed linens — at least the pillow cases. Pollen of ten sticks on hair, eyelashes, skin and clothing, Herbert said. She also warns that pet hair is often laden with pollen, so she advises students to wash their r ■Wear sunglasses or glasses In stead of contacts ■ Shower when you get home atthe end of the day ■Wash bedding and pillowcases regularly ■Wash hands after petting furry pets ■ Don’t let pets sleep with you ■Damp-dustthe house ■ Sleep with wi ndows closed ■WearapoUen mask while bike riding hands after handling their pets and not let pets sleep with them. Sunglasses can help because they put up a physical barrier to pollen getting in the eyes. People who have hay fever and wear con tacts should consider wearing their glasses for better protection, Herbert said. As difficult as it may be, Her bert also suggested that people with hay fever limit their outdoor activity on clear, windy days. The pollen count is highest in the early morning hours. “If you have to ride your bike across town, wear a pollen mask,” Herbert said. Another time people come into heavy contact with pollen is when they dust the house, be cause pollen sticks to dust. “People should never dust with a feather duster,” Herbert said. “Damp dust.” They should also wear a pollen mask when they vacuum and then open up the area and leave for a while to let everything settle. Relief for people with a less se vere reaction to pollen can be found with an antihistamine. His tamine is one of the catalysts that causes itching and sneezing. But for people who need some thing more, there are allergy shots as well as nose sprays that work on the mucous membrane. There is no single cure-all shot. Thirty years ago people were given one shot that consisted of a corticos teroid, but that only masked the symptoms and often led to long term side effects, Herbert said. The Student Health Center of fers skin tests and treatments for allergies. Call 346-4441 for more information. JOIN US FOR THE 1999 JOHNSTON LECTURE Sponsored by the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication “The Writer, the Truth, and the Law The Longest-Running Literary Lawsuit" ■/.." .."1 Peter Matthiessen Friday, April 23,1999,7:30 p.m. 150 Columbia Hall University of Oregon This lecture is made possible with an endowment gift from the Richard w. Johnston memorial project FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (541) 346-2134. ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WILL BE PROVIDED IF REQUESTED BY FRIDAY, APRIL 16,1999. The Restoration Campus Ministry at the University of Oregon for over twenty years is hold ing a series of open discussions at the EMU. The roundtables take place in the Century Rooms Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. & Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Date April 21 April 22 Topic Place The Bible and Warfare for information: 726-5480 Annual Meeting Today! BE ON OUR BOARD! April 21, 3:30 At the Wesley Center, next to the Bookstore on Kincaid Current U0 students, faculty and staff are invited! **• Drawings . # ^ Accepting nominations for positions on our Board of Directors You're welcome to nominate yourself. Elections will be held May 13th and 14th. (2) Sophomores 2 year term (1) Freshman 2 year term (1) Graduate Student 2 year term (1) Faculty 2 year term (1) Student-at-Large 1 year of 2 year term (1) Graduate Student 1 year of 2 year term university Board members receive a $50 monthly stipend and attend a monthly meeting. OF OREGON ciiiTh: Your Corner Store. 895 East 13th Ave. 346-4331 Check out these Interview Sites Have a pre-arranged Summer Job & Career Fair interview scheduled? If you do, you know it.* Then check out this list for where you need to be for the interview. Write down your site, and plan on arriving at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the interview. Good luck! April 22 / Gerlinger Lounge All State Insurance Gold Arrow Camp IBP Inc. National Credit Union Administration Nautica Retail USA Norwest Financial Services Mervyn's-Beaverton, OR Mervyn's-Hayward, CA Target Stores Payless Shoes Safeco Corp./Safeco Agents EMU Owyhee Cintas Corp. Strategy Associates Public Relations EMU Alsea Jeld-Wen Phillips & Co. Securities EMU Coquille Office Depot Career Center Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations Frito-Lay Incorporated Price Pfister April 23 Gerlinger Lounge Advantage Schools Balboa Capital Corporation Black & Decker Camp Wilani Enterprise Rent-a-Car Express Norwest Financial Pacific Automation US Army Yellowstone National Lodge & Parks Career Center Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations Macy's West Price Pfister •Interviews with these companies can be scheduled at the Career Fair on a space-available basis. 'Advertise in Oregon foaily Emerald Classifieds! Call 346-4343!
