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HARRIS BLACKWOOD Community Editor TV without a prescription G I'm glad my momma didn't live long enough to see some of the pre scription medi cines they now advertise on tele vision. They advertise stuff that just should not be discussed in mixed company. My momma was in denial about most serious illnesses. She was also in denial about people’s consumption of demon alcohol. If somebody had cancer or heart disease, momma would whisper it to you. “They say he's got (starts whis pering) cancer.” Momma continued even into my adult years, spelling things she didn’t want to say. “I thought I smelled b double-e-r on his breath." she would say. We didn't have a lot of different medicine in the medicine cabinet. Momma thought that most things could be fixed with aspirin, some Vicks Vapoßub. and that little bottle in the back. It was a medicine bottle that she kept filled with a bit of bour bon. The bourbon would only be used to make this concoction of bourbon, honey, and lemon juice. This was supposed to either cure your cough or make you forget about it. I think any refills came from a widow woman down the street w ho kept a supply on hand for bad coughs and snake bites. Snakes must have been pretty bad at her place. We also had a bottle of mer curochrome, which I think was ban ished years ago because it contained mercury. I think my momma bought up the remaining stock, because we had some around until she died. There was also a box of some old bandages that were left over from some war. If mercurochrome didn’t fix it. the Vicks salve would. Momma would put it on my chest for a cold and she was convinced it also had some sort of healing power. She would put a piece of cloth on top of it. If that didn't work, she would put a heating pad on top of that. If your cold was accompanied by a cough, she would get out a glass and mix up the formula. My momma, a teetotaler, would never have made it as a bartender. There was always a disproportionate share of one of the ingredients. There was two kinds of sick to momma., sick and "bad" sick. If you were “bad" sick, things didn't look too rosy. When my dad got cancer (which my mother never said out loud), it was really tough on her. The Vicks, the cough potion, the aspirin, and the mercurochrome didn't help. About a dozen years later, she called me and asked me to come home. “I think I'm pretty bad sick," she said in a strong voice. This time there was no denying it. I think about her often. I think about her when I open my bathroom closet and see the assortment of stomach, cold, allergy, and about a dozen other medicines tucked away in one of those plastic baskets. There is no Vicks, plain aspirin, or mer curochome. I also think of her when I watch TV and see those awful commer cials. They advertise medicine for people who cannot do what is sup posed to come natural for married folks (this is a family newspaper). They also advertise various items for women that 1 can't even type the words about without blushing. Down at one of the fancy super markets, they now have a checkout aisle with all of the magazines cov ered up. I wish the television folks would offer us a channel without all that embarassing stuff. If you suffer from any of these unmentionable situations, I hope you get help. Maybe we'd all be better off with just some Vicks salve, a shot of bour bon, and some mercurochrome. Harris Blackwood's column appears Sundays in the Forsyth County News. Send comments to lifestyles@forsythnews. com. Forsyth Life The REASON for the SNEEZIN’ Allergy season has arrived By Harris Blackwood »- Community Editor On the calendar, yesterday marked the first day of spring. For Dr. Jeevana Krishna, there is no need to mark the date. For several weeks, patients have been filling the waiting room of her Cumming office complaining of sneez ing, running noses and watery eyes. The season of pollen and allergic reac tion has come to town. "1 think it is more pronounced this year." said Krishna, "normally we have not seen this many patients so early. We’ve seen a lot more patients this year.” Her solution for her patients often depends on insurance. According to the physician, some managed care medical plans will only pay for specific medicines for allergy sufferers. For some, the relief comes in pill form. For others the course of treatment may include an inhaled spray mist, once again, it is dependent on insur ance coverage. Allergy sufferers cover the com plete spectrum of ages, 'Today. I saw a baby who was just four months old." said Krishna. "The mother said that she took the baby out and was just walking around outside and this small child had symptoms." According to statistics from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), at least 35 million people in the United States have seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever). The increased absen teeism and reduced productivity costs U.S. companies more than $250 mil lion. There are more than 18 million office visits to primary care physicians each year resulting in a diagnosis of sinusitis. Why? "Our immunity has come down and our tolerance has come down," said Krishna. "Whatever you are allergic to will settle on the mucous membrane. Then your body begins to release all the chemicals to fight that allergic par ticle. That fight is what causes all the secretions. With the medications, the histamines block that." In recent years, drugs such as Claritin, have become available with out a prescription. The physician cau tions that attempting to self-medicate without a physician can have certain risks. "Most of these medicines are cleared by the liver." she said. “You have to monitor liver function tests." She said that medications that con tain the decongestant, pseudophedrine. can also result in an increase in blood pressure, which can be dangerous from persons who suffer from hypertension. In cases of severe allergies, the physician said that tests are conducted to determine the patient's specific aller gies. “If you are allergic to any foods, pet hair or pet dander, for example, you can avoid those things. But if you are allergic to something that is in the envrironment and you have severe reactions that do not respond to med ication. we can administer allergy shots which control the symptoms." The other season problem is asth ma. Asthma affects more than 17 mil lion people in the United States. While asthma has been known to affect peo ple year round, spring can be particu larly troublesome for the 10 million Americans who suffer from allergic asthma, according to the AAAAI. Warmer temperatures mean higher pollen and mold spore counts, causing trouble for the allergic asthma sufferer. "Allergic asthma occurs when a sensitized patient is exposed to aller gens to which their immune system is sensitive, causing the production of the allergy antibody called IgE," said Gailen D. Marshall, Jr.. MD. PhD, FAAAAI. “Inhaling pollens, dust mite proteins, molds, animal dander or other allergens cause the airways of sensitive individuals to constrict because of IgE armed mast cell activation as well as increased mucus production and entry of inflammatory cells into the airway, all combining to cause a potentially Forsyth County News—Sunday, March 21,2004 ' 11 TT X7l I. • At 5. I ■LII ' J i iB I ” I / e" * W serious asthma attack." Symptoms of asthma include coughing, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, wheezing and chest tight ness. While the symptoms of allergic and non-allergic asthma are similar, the triggers vary, depending on the type of allergen to which the individual patient is sensitive: Non-allergic asthma triggers: * Air Pollution * Fumes * Perfumes * Household cleaning agents * Insecticides * Fresh paint * Tobacco smoke * Infection Allergic asthma triggers: * Pollens * House dust mites * Animal dander * Mold spores (indoor and outdoor) * Cockroaches Among the recommendation for severe allergy and asthma sufferers * Minimize outdoor activities when pollen counts are high. Peak pollen times are usually between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. * Keep your car windows closed when traveling. * Try to stay indoors when humidi ty is reported to be high, and on windy days when dust and pollen are blown about. * Take a shower after spending time outside—pollen can collect on your skin and hair. Allergy Statistics • Estimates from a skin test survey suggest that allergies affect as many as 40 to 50 million people in the United States. • Allergic diseases affect more than 20 percent of the U.S. pop ulation. • Allergic diseases are the sixth leading cause of chronic dis ease in the United States. • At least 35.9 million people in the United States have season al allergic rhinitis (hay fever). • Approximately 16.7 million office visits to health care providers each year are attributed to allergic rhinitis. • Immunotherapy is ultimately successful in up to 90 percent of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis and in 70 to 80 percent with perennial allergic rhinitis. • The estimated overall costs of allergic rhinitis in the United States in 1996 totaled $6 billion. • It is estimated that In 1998, increased absenteeism and reduced productivity due to allergies cost U.S. companies more than $250 million. • Sinusitis develops in approximately 31 million Americans each year. • Chronic sinusitis affects nearly 35 million people in the United States. • People suffering from sinusitis miss an average of four days of work each year. • There are more than 18 million office visits to primary care physicians resulting in a diagnosis of sinusitis annually. • In 1996, overall health care expenditures attributable to sinusi tis in the United States were estimated to be over $5.8 billion. • There is an association between sinusitis and asthma. The incidence of sinusitis in asthmatic subjects ranges from 40 to 75 percent. Source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology B Blooming flowers, above, are .just one signal of the begin ning of allergy sea son. Dr. Jeevana Krishna, left, is pic tured with samples of some of the prescrip tion drugs available to allergy suffers. The choice is often dictat ed by the policy of managed medical care plans. Top Photo/Audra Perry Left Photo/David McGregor