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All that sneezing and wheezing youve been doing the last few weeks? Dr. Gary Gruber has seen a lot of it.
The explosion of pollen from trees has left plenty of New Canaan and Fairfield County residents in agony, reaching for eye drops, pills and anything else to curb the discomfort of springtime allergies.
I havent seen more people, but the severity of it seems much higher, said Gruber, a naturopathic physician with a home office on Old Stamford Road in New Canaan. Their bodies are fighting a much higher level of pollen this year and a higher level of particulate matter.
Gruber, who also teaches naturopathic medicine at the University of Bridgeport, said trees loved the long, harsh winter and went very, very dormant. As temperatures rose, those trees produced plenty of flowers and pollen. The higher the pollen levels, the more reactive their immune systems will be, he said.
Gruber said the high pollen and particulate levels in the air are making peoples immune systems hypersensitive. He has escaped such symptoms, though, as the pollen plaguing so many people has barely caused him to sniffle. People are generally stuffier, more congested, and theyre coughing more, he said.
If you're feeling congested, Gruber recommends using a neti-pot, a saline nasal rinse, to clear the sinuses and reduce the allergenic load in the body. He also suggests making dietary changes, such as reducing the intake of sugar, wheat and dairy. Allergy sufferers can also take enzymes such as amylase capsules and Vitamin C, the latter of which acts as an antihistamine. But it will take more than a glass of orange juice. Gruber recommends a 1,000-milligram capsule every couple of hours.
For people with longstanding allergy problems, Gruber recommends homeopathic drops to desensitize the eyes. They should get on top of that before the season begins, he said.
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