Sioux City Allergy & Asthma's Dr. Christopher Tumpkin said hunters should avoid over-the-counter medications that will either make them drowsy or jittery while in the field.
Dawn J. Sagert, Sioux City Journ
Dr. Christopher Tumpkin, M.D. talks about a poster that he uses when talking to patients about allergies, testing and treatment at his office in Sioux City. He suggests that sportspeople see him prior to the hunting season if they're susceptible to outdoor allergies.
Dawn J. Sagert, Sioux City Journ
Sioux City Allergy & Asthma PC's Dr. Christopher Tumpkin said hunters can be irritated by cold air, dust mites and pollen while out-of-the-doors.
SIOUX CITY | Possibly the worst place to feel wheezy is in a dusty field during hunting season.
"Like everyone else, hunters can be irritated by cold air, dust, mold --Â you name it," Sioux City Allergy & Asthma PC's Christopher Tumpkin explained. "The problem is they're in the middle of nowhere when their allergies kick in."
Which means allergy-prone hunters should carry over-the-counter medication since the outdoors has such sniffle triggers as ragweed, pollen and mold.
But over-the-counter medications may carry warning signals to hunters.Â
For instance, an antihistamine -- used to relieve allergies, hay fever and the common cold -- may also make a person drowsy or give the user what Tumpkins called "brain fog."
"Obviously, hunters want to be alert in the field," he said. "Anything that will inhibit that should be avoided."
Likewise, nasal sprays or medications containing decongestants may be able to shrink swollen blood vessels and tissues in one's nose. But they can also make a person feel jittery.
"No hunter wants to have an itchy trigger finger," Tumpkin said. "That's why such drugs should be avoided."
Which is why he suggested using a fexofenadine like Allegra, which won't make one too drowsy or too jittery.
Still Tumpkin recommended seeing an allergist or physician prior to hunting season if symptoms persist.
"A hunter knows he's susceptible to allergies if he's sneezing and stuffy every time he's in the field," Tumpkin said. "He might as well treat the symptoms when he can instead of being disruptive to other hunters."
If the problem continues, an allergist may decide allergy immunotherapy (allergy shots) is a course of action.
This treatment, Tumpkin said, involves receiving regular injections in gradually increasing doses. This will help a person's immune system become more resistant to a specific allergen, lessening the symptoms as well as the need for medications.
"I know hunters want to hunt, but they shouldn't suffer due to allergies," he said.
Sioux City Allergy & Asthma's Dr. Christopher Tumpkin said hunters should avoid over-the-counter medications that will either make them drowsy or jittery while in the field.
Dr. Christopher Tumpkin, M.D. talks about a poster that he uses when talking to patients about allergies, testing and treatment at his office in Sioux City. He suggests that sportspeople see him prior to the hunting season if they're susceptible to outdoor allergies.
