Grand Canyon Times

• About 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year.
• Allergic reactions can vary from mild irritation to severe discomfort, with symptoms including sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy, watery, or swollen eyes.
• Allergies and sinusitis share many of the same symptoms, often exacerbating each other and making both conditions worse.

With summer in full bloom, it is important to remember how allergies can change with the season and how they can impact someone’s health. According to Dr. Brian Lee of Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center, he often sees patients who have allergies as a component of their health problems. 

“I would say that the vast majority of patients have some component of allergies contributing to their sinonasal issues,” Dr. Lee told the Grand Canyon Times. “A lot of the time it's inflammation of the nose and that inflammation could come from allergies, or it could come from chronic or recurrent infections.”

While spring allergies may subside as trees and flowers finish blooming, summer allergies triggered by weeds and grasses become the next concern for allergy sufferers. According to WebMD, one of the most common allergy triggers in the summer is ragweed. Its pollen can travel hundreds of miles on the wind, affecting areas far beyond where it originally grew.

The 50 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies may experience sneezing, coughing, congestion, itchy eyes, a runny nose, and fatigue, according to Yale Medicine. 

To diagnose allergies, doctors will typically review a patient’s symptoms and medical history and then recommend either a blood test or a skin test, according to WebMD. For a skin test, the doctor will place a small amount of the allergen on the patient's skin, typically on the forearm or back. If the patient is allergic to that particular allergen, a small, itchy bump will appear.

According to Yale Medicine, the other option is a blood test, where the patient's blood is drawn and analyzed for allergens in a lab. Although this method takes longer, it enables doctors to test for a wider range of allergies compared to a skin test. 

Sinusitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungus and allergies. If symptoms persist for longer than three months, the condition is classified as chronic sinusitis.

According to Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy's website, Dr. Brian Lee graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed his internship and residency in otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) at the University of Southern California. Dr. Lee was named one of the Valley's "Top Doctors" by Phoenix Magazine in 2015 and 2016.