Rheumatoid Arthritis and Seasonal Allergies: What to Know

Allergies affect a different part of your immune system. Mark C. Jacobson, MD, medical director of Allergy and Asthma Physicians in Hinsdale, Illinois, notes that allergies occur when a portion of your immune system overreacts after exposure to antigens, such as pollen from trees, grass, ragweed, and weeds, or mold from various sources, such as decaying plants and leaves in the environment.

Seasonal allergies are generally not life-threatening, Dr. Jacobson says, but they can make you uncomfortable, causing symptoms such as sneezing, stuffiness, a runny nose, and itchiness in your nose, the roof of your mouth, throat, eyes, or ears.

How to Avoid Airborne Allergens

When you have RA and seasonal allergies, treatment starts with minimizing your exposure to airborne allergens. Jacobson says that his recommendations are the same regardless of whether you have RA or not. Start by minimizing your exposure to airborne allergens. Try to:

• Keep your windows closed. “This prevents pollen from drifting into your home,” Jacobson says. Run the air conditioner instead.
• Keep humidity between 30 and 45 percent to reduce mold.
• Minimize outdoor activity when pollen levels are at their highest; pollen counts are typically lowest before dawn, rising to their peak in midday, and may still be high in the evening on high-pollen-count days.

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• Keep your car windows closed when driving.
• Stay indoors on windy days when pollen is likely to be present in higher amounts in the air.
• Take a vacation during the height of the pollen season to a more pollen-free area, such as the beach or an ocean cruise.
• Avoid yard work, or wear a mask or bandanna over your nose and mouth when working outside.
• Use a dryer to machine-dry bedding and clothing, instead of hanging clothes on a clothesline, which can cause laundry to become coated with pollen.
• Wash your hair in the evening before bedtime to avoid getting pollen on your pillow.

Mask Hygiene

If you choose to wear a mask to avoid inhaling allergens, be sure to wear a clean, dry, undamaged one.

“A mask’s performance is affected by how long it is used. KN95, KN94, and N95 masks cannot be washed, so it is recommended to use a new one every two to three days,” says Juan J. Maya-Villamizar, MD, a rheumatologist and the medical director of the Rheumatology Center of Palm Beach in Florida.

“Some people with seasonal allergies might benefit from replacing their masks more often, since allergens can remain on the surface of the mask,” he adds.

Treating Coexisting RA and Seasonal Allergies

Several over-the-counter antihistamines, decongestants, and nasal sprays are available to treat hay fever symptoms, but if you have RA, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist first. It’s especially important that you coordinate your medications if you’re being treated for conditions such as depression, sleep problems, or anxiety, as those medications may have sedative effects (though decongestants can cause insomnia). You could also risk having dangerous drug interactions.

Nasal steroid sprays are another option for controlling symptoms, and they’re only minimally absorbed into the bloodstream, so they may come with fewer side effects than those associated with systemic steroids.

If you continue to experience symptoms related to seasonal allergies, talk to an allergist about the treatment that’s best for you. Go to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology website to locate an allergist in your area.