North Baltimore Journal

• The 26th annual Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill will take place in Washington, D.C., on May 3.
• People with allergies and asthma will have the opportunity to meet with lawmakers.
• The event is free, but registration is required.

On May 3, the 26th annual Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill will take place in Washington, D.C., where people who suffer from allergies or asthma can meet with lawmakers and share their stories. Those who attend can ask lawmakers to support related legislation and learn about the latest research and what impact it can have on public health policy, according to the Allergy and Asthma Network.

The schedule for attendees includes an advocacy training and breakfast, in-person advocacy meetings with members of Congress and their staff and a lunch briefing with members of the Congressional Asthma & Allergy Caucus. Allergists and federal agency representatives will also take part in the lunch briefing. Participation is free, but attendees must register.

Dr. James Oberman of Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says patients wondering if they have allergies have multiple treatment options, and they can test for allergens that are more common in certain geographical areas.

"You're doing either skin-pick testing on the back or the forearm, and you're placing the allergen and seeing if they develop a flare," Oberman told North Baltimore Journal. "So that's called in vivo testing, and that is still performed, but equally as sensitive and specific is what's called in vitro testing, or RAST. In vitro testing, which is a blood test, we're testing for a specific allergy-type antibody. This is a specific antibody to an allergen that somebody is allergic to, and it would be elevated on a blood test. And it's specific for a geographic region, specifically for the Frederick, Mid-Atlantic states, that we test for, in addition to other panels for food and other allergens."

More than 50 million Americans are suffering from allergies every year, and allergies are the sixth-most-common cause of chronic illness in the U.S., according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, can be either seasonal or perennial and can cause sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes and an itchy nose, eyes or mouth.

Allergy symptoms, such as itchy eyes, can be caused by inflammation, which is a result of the body attempting to protect itself from allergens, according to MBG Health. When someone is exposed to an allergen, the body's natural stress response is to secrete hormones like cortisol and chemicals like histamine, but studies have shown that those secretions can lead to inflammation, which in turn makes allergy symptoms and asthma even worse.

If you're interested in learning more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.