Ragweed plagues Indiana's seasonal allergy sufferers

INDIANAPOLIS -- As summer gives way to autumn, rising levels of ragweed pollen are sending many Indiana allergy sufferers running to tissue boxes and doctors' offices.\nAn estimated 20 percent of the state's residents suffer from seasonal allergies, and many have had a tough summer, even though, according to experts, this has been an average allergy season.\nEric Willman looks forward to the changing of the seasons. But not from summer to fall. He prefers winter, when everything is dead.\n"I'm allergic to a lot of things -- almost anything that floats in the air," said Willman, 27.\nRagweed pollen levels, which measured 2 on Aug. 1 in Indianapolis, rose dramatically later in the month, hitting a weekly average of 165 around Aug. 22 and 267 by Labor Day weekend. The highest single-day reading came on Aug. 29, when the pollen count reached 339.\nDuring the first week of September, the pollen count averaged 177. On Monday, it was 44.\nA count above 50 is considered high, and many allergy sufferers exhibit symptoms when the count is as low as 10.\nIf the count spikes above 500, as it did last year, telephones in doctors' offices tend to ring off the hook, said Dr. Frank Wu, an Indianapolis allergy specialist.\nThe break in hot, dry days brought some relief last week. But that doesn't mean sufferers are out of the woods, said Wu, who monitors pollen counts for the National Allergy Bureau.\nPollen can leave many people feeling like they have a never-ending cold. Pollen levels can remain high until the first frost, and Indiana typically does not see that until mid-October.\nDoctors say this is not the worst year Indiana has seen. But that's little consolation to those who have been dosing up on antihistamines.\n"It's not like we've ever had a quiet ragweed season," said Dr. William Baker, an assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana School of Medicine who specializes in allergies.\n"It's very much a quality-of-life issue," Baker told The Indianapolis Star for a story published Tuesday. "Picture yourself having a bad cold for a whole season."\nWillman knows that feeling well. Even when temperatures dropped last week, he kept his house windows locked tight and his air conditioner running.\n"I would love to spend more time outdoors," he said, "but I know if I spent more than a couple of minutes out there, I'd be miserable."\nDoctors say that's a good approach.\n"Avoidance is the first step," Baker said.\nDoctors also can provide relief with medications, such as antihistamines, nasal sprays or allergy shots, which are effective for the majority of people who receive them.\nIf all else fails, time will help. Last year, by Oct. 1, the pollen count had dropped to 3.