( cian; 172 patients saw an allergist for...)Hay Fever Can Send Work Productivity Down the Drain,Health

cian; 172 patients saw an allergist for treatment; and 165 chose to self-manage their symptoms (most of the patients in this latter group had been formally tested for allergies by a physician.)

Work time missed due to allergy symptoms ranged from zero to 32 hours a week. Although collectively the participants missed an average of one hour of work per week during the year-long study, most hours were missed during peak hay fever seasons – namely spring and fall. In reality, this may result in missing a couple to several days of work a week during allergy season.

People under the care of a family physician reported a greater severity of symptoms than did patients treated by an allergist as well as those who self-managed their allergy symptoms.

“Family physicians tend to be the gatekeepers to allergists, and as such are more likely to have initial contact with allergy patients,” Szeinbach said. “So it makes sense that family physicians would see patients with a broad spectrum of allergy symptoms.

“Both kinds of physicians have access to thorough diagnostic tests, and can also prescribe heavy-duty allergy drugs, such as steroids that help block the body's natural reaction to allergens,” she continued. Participants who self-managed their allergies relied on over-the-counter products to control their milder symptoms.

A lack of sleep and a decrease in quality of life had the greatest impact on a person’s ability to work, regardless of the treatment group they were in. Participants also cited watery eyes and sneezing as having a moderately negative effect on their productivity at work.

While hay fever may remain a fact of life for millions of people, Szeinbach points out the importance of a proper diagnosis. The majority of study participants (405) had a traditional skin-prick test, in which a drop of allergen is placed on a patient’s arm or back. The physician then pricks the skin through the drop, whic
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