• The 26th annual Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill will take place in Washington, D.C., on May 3.
• People with allergies and asthma will have the opportunity to meet with lawmakers.
• The event is free, but registration is required.
On May 3, the 26th annual Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill will take place in Washington, D.C., where people who suffer from allergies or asthma can meet with lawmakers and share their stories.
The schedule for attendees includes an advocacy training and breakfast, in-person advocacy meetings with members of Congress and their staff, and a lunch briefing with members of the Congressional Asthma & Allergy Caucus. Allergists and federal agency representatives will also take part in the lunch briefing. Participation is free, but attendees must register.
Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says that people with allergies have multiple treatment options, some of which are in-office surgical procedures that can offer permanent relief.
"We offer allergy treatment and allergy testing," Trimble told Lone Star Standard. "For people who have significant allergic rhinitis, you can permanently alter someone's immune system over time with immunotherapy -- allergy shots or drops -- and that can provide permanent improvements for patients. Also, when you intervene in their nose with balloon sinuplasty or some turbinatereduction, you can also offer permanent changes to the way those sinuses drain and the way the patient breathes. I think that's exciting to be able to offer this level of treatment with decreased recoveries, in an office setting that just makes it more convenient for the patient."
More than 50 million Americans are suffering from allergies every year, and allergies are the sixth-most-common cause of chronic illness in the U.S., according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, can be either seasonal or perennial and can cause sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes, and an itchy nose, eyes or mouth.
Allergy symptoms, such as itchy eyes, can be cause by inflammation, which is a result of the body's attempt to protect itself from allergens, according to MBG Health. When someone is exposed to an allergen, the body's natural stress response is to secrete hormones like cortisol and chemicals like histamine, but studies have shown that those secretions can lead to inflammation, which in turn makes allergy symptoms and asthma even worse.
If you're interested in learning more about the symptoms of allergies or sinusitis, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
