Allergy troubles

Many of us are feeling the sting of seasonal allergies. Ragweed is big this time of year, so is mold. <br/><br/>Consumer Reports is probably best known for ranking cars and washing machines and the like,

Wednesday, September 21st 2005, 2:11 pm

By: News On 6

Many of us are feeling the sting of seasonal allergies. Ragweed is big this time of year, so is mold.

Consumer Reports is probably best known for ranking cars and washing machines and the like, but they also have a new web site ranking allergy medicines to help people figure out how to get relief.

News on 6 reporter Steve Berg says every fall when Payton Dunaway heads back to school, she knows the sneezing will be back. "I sneeze a lot." Paytonâ€™s mom, Traci Dunaway: "We have ragweed, some cats; she's pretty much allergic to everything." Dr Jane Purser with the Allergy Clinic of Tulsa: "When the temperature and the wind are just right, then the plants produce huge numbers of airborne pollens."

Dr. Purser says the heavy rains grew a bumper crop of ragweed and the dry, windy weather afterward helped spread it around, creating a perfect storm of pollen. "The amount pollinating is much greater than we expected.â€ She says you don't really target a particular allergen, but rather the particular symptoms.

Medicines fall into two camps, the anti-histamines. "Anti-histamine, if I can just say that word, helps stop itch, sneezing, and dripping." And the anti-inflammatories. "So if you are somebody that has headaches and pressure and stuffy nose, you should be taking an anti-inflammatory medicine."

In a new twist on their product rankings, Consumer Reports has a new feature on its web site that tests and ranks the various medicines on the market in what they call their usual unbiased, uncompensated fashion.

Would you believe that Payton likes all the shots she gets? Traci Dunaway: "And why do you like getting the shots?" Payton: "Because I get a sucker."