1 in 5 seasonal allergy sufferers misses work because of their symptoms

Researchers found pollen was the most commonly cited source of seasonal allergies (79%), followed by grasses (59%), ragweed (54%), and trees (52%).
Only 40% of spring allergy sufferers said they were completely or very successful at managing their allergy symptoms in the previous allergy season. Itchy eyes were the most common symptom (87%), followed by sneezing (80%), runny nose (77%), and watery eyes (73%).

Treatment
Avoidance was the most popular type of treatment tried (74%), followed by over-the-counter medicines (70%) and prescription drugs (59%).
The most popular prescription medications mentioned in the survey were:

- steroid nasal sprays, such as Flonase and Nasonex
- Singulair pill
The over-the-counter allergy medications taken most often by people with spring allergies were the antihistamines Benadryl Allergy, Claritin, and Zyrtec, and the decongestant Sudafed.


References:
Seasonal Allergy Relief Can Be Hard to Find. WebMD.

51% of adult patients with asthma had clinically significant anxiety

Of these only 21% had already been diagnosed and were receiving treatment.
Females reported significantly higher scores than males. More females (66.3%) registered clinically significant levels of anxiety as compared with males.

There was a positive correlation between the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) score and the prescribed dose of inhaled glucocorticoids. There was also a positive correlation between anxiety and the number of medicines taken by patients.

Physicians treating patients with asthma should be aware of the association between asthma and anxiety. Always assess patients for the possibility of anxiety disorders as part of asthma management plans.



References:
Anxiety and the Management of Asthma in an Adult Outpatient Population. Medscape, 2010.