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Seasonal change spurs students' sniffles, sneezes
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Although spring fever may be setting in around campus, another type of fever is causing problems for many students.
"Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen that commonly occurs in the spring," June Matthews, registered nurse at the University Health Services Center, said.
According to Matthews, many students have come to the student health service center with symptoms of hay fever. The symptoms include itchy ears, nose, throat and eyes Matthews said.
If a student has hay fever it is possible to control the symptoms with over the counter medications. Claritin and Zyrtec are good for daytime relief, and Benadryl can help at night, Matthews said.
The recent thunderstorms, Matthew said, have caused new problems for students who suffer from severe allergies.
"Even our students who take allergy shots are having problems because the storms blew in pollen from different areas that their bodies are not used to," Matthews said.
"We battle this all year round," Matthews said. "Some students are allergic to mold and a lot of the dorms have mold, sometimes even in new buildings."
Matthews said students who are from areas such as Memphis may have more allergy problems in Chattanooga, because Chattanooga has the largest variety of vegetation in the nation.
Some students, however, have an easier time dealing with allergies in Chattanooga than in their hometowns.
"Usually, in the spring my allergies act up, but since being in Chattanooga, they don't act up as much," Brittany Bentley, a Collierville, Tenn. junior said.
Bentley said cotton trees are common in her hometown and they were the causes of her allergy woes.
According to Matthews, students should stop when they first start feeling sick and figure out what's making them ill.
Matthews said she recommends students wash their hands often to prevent other illness. The flu is still spreading around campus Matthews said, but assures students that the health center still has flu shots.
According to Matthews, Mononucleosis, also known as Mono, is another common case the university health services office is seeing.
"Don't share anything," Matthews said.
If a student believes they may have hay fever, Matthews recommended that they try to stay hydrated.
"When you are sick, you need at least eight ounces of fluid per hour," Matthews said. "It doesn't have to be water but your body needs fluids."
Matthews recommends that students should buy a thermometer to determine body temperature in order to help the university health services center know the severity of a case.
"The number associated with your temperature is very diagnostic to us," Matthews said. "If you come in and say you have a temperature of 101 it means a whole lot more than if you said you felt hot last night."
Any student who has symptoms of hay fever can visit the student health service center located in the Metro complex.
Additional information:
Do You Have Pollen Allergy Symptoms
Pollen Allergy
Pollen Allergy Symptoms , Natural Allergy Cures
Pollen Allergy , Seasonal Allergy , Seasonal Allergies , Allergy
Newswise Medical News , As Ragweed Season Peaks, Keep Allergy
New Hope for Pollen , Milk Allergies - Allergies : Allergy Symptoms
Pollen allergy
Pollen allergy and food
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy
Symptoms of Pollen allergy - WrongDiagnosis.com
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