Friday, March 18, 2016

Spring “Fever”—Seniors beware!

Spring has already sprung for those of us living in Florida and it is happening all around the US.  Everywhere you look flowers are blooming, trees are budding, grass is greening up and everything is covered in a yellow coat of Pollen!  You can also see a lot of red, teary eyed individuals sniffling and wheezing as the onslaught of allergies attack reminding us all that Spring sometimes comes with a price!


Zoom on pollen-covered bumblebee on Echinacea ...
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Allergies are very unbiased and they affect everyone, young and old.   For most of us, we grab our favorite allergy drugs including antihistamines, decongestants, combination drugs, corticosteroids and more to find relief.   Your local pharmacy has an abundance of over-the-counter allergy relief medicines and then there is our faithful doctor who can prescribe the “good stuff” to help us survive the Allergy Season.

Whether you are a Senior or take care of a Senior, you need to be cautious when it comes to choosing an Allergy Relief drug.  Here are a few things to consider:

  • Just because a medication is sold over-the-counter (OTC), they are not all safe to take with other prescription medication.  Ask your Pharmacist or better yet, see your physician first! 

  • Allergy medications often increase blood pressure which can lead to serious complications if taken for a long period of time.

  • Allergy medications will most likely affect a Seniors sleep.  Some medications will make you hyper so you can’t sleep and others will make you drowsy so you may sleep more.  In either case, you will not get restful sleep. 
  • Allergy symptoms often mask more serious problems.  Bronchitis and Sinus Infections are two common problems that are often mistaken as allergies.  Infected ears and throat are two others that are often mistaken as Allergy symptoms.  Any of these improperly treated can lead to serious issues and undue suffering. 

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If you feel you are suffering from Allergies, be safe and get a check up from your physician.   If you are going to self-medicate, then at least discuss with your local Pharmacist drug interaction of the over-the-counter medication you are considering.  Finally, if the problem persists without any relief, see your doctor!  Proper diagnosis and medication can have you out safely and painlessly enjoying Spring!

If would like a list Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing Homes, Home Care or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will consider www.helpforelderly.org .

If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas, please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about. 

We look forward to reading yours.


Bob Gregory is an advocate for Seniors and is one of the founders of the non-profit  Help For Elderly.  At HelpForElderly.org, we are dedicated to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide their personal information! We are a non profit organization supported by generous public donations.  If you find  you need an assisted living facility or other type of senior service, please consider www.helpforelderly.org.

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