ST. LOUIS — Amber Thurman’s allergies are keeping her up at night.
“My nose will be stuffed,” she said. “I can't breathe through it at all.”
Thurman has tried a couple over over-the-counter medicines, but nothing worked that well. She turned to Dr. Joe Brunworth, a SLUCare Ear Nose and Throat specialist at SSM Heatlh St. Louis University Hospital. He suggested trying a combination of medicines, including a pill, a nasal spray and doing a sinus rinse.
Dr. Brunworth said this year’s allergy season is a little worse than normal.
“It's not the worst I've ever seen, but on these years when we've had flooding in the Midwest, once the waters come down that's when you're going to get the mold to develop,” Dr. Brunworth said.
He said patients can also try switching medication. Sometimes, a treatment that works for a while can lose its effectiveness.
If over-the-counter medicines are not working, Dr. Brunworth recommends looking into allergy testing and shots. There are also surgical procedures that can help.
Dr. Brunworth also recommends that patients wash their bed sheets in hot water to kill dust mites. Also, try wearing a mask when outside, especially while doing lawn work or gardening.