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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A moderate summer may be welcome to some people, but it can bring suffering in the fall. Record-high ragweed pollen levels have sent many of those people seeking Dr. Gregory Metz's help. If allergy sufferers don't seek treatment, it can diminish workplace productivity.
Metz, a board-certified allergist at the Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma Clinic, said as many as 30 percent of children and adults suffer from allergies, and pollen is one common trigger. When spores proliferate, it can cause sleep disturbances and poor concentration for that population. Patients should seek treatment when symptoms arise, and employers should take allergies seriously, Metz told The Journal Record (http://bit.ly/1riLTVc ).
"Unfortunately, people with allergies have a lot of disturbance with their quality of life," he said. "That culminates in workdays lost and can have a big impact on work climate and productivity."
Millions across the United States suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis, or hay fever. Ragweed pollen is the primary culprit, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Hay fever is more than just coughing and sneezing.
A 2006 national study of workplace productivity showed that 55 percent of employees experienced hay fever for about 53 days, on average, and missed about 3.5 workdays due to illness. In addition, employees suffering from symptoms were unproductive about two hours per workday.
The study showed $593 in lost productivity per employee per year due to allergic rhinitis. In comparison, lost productivity due to depression cost about $273 per employee per year and productivity loss from arthritis/rheumatism cost $269 per person per year.
While ragweed grows across the country, Oklahoma's geography and climate can help the plant thrive, Metz said. Because the Sooner State's summer weather wasn't a scorcher, ragweed plants didn't die, as in previous years. Moderate temperatures and more moisture helped the plants grow larger this year, he said.
Climate change can make things worse, said Renee McPherson, research director at the University of Oklahoma South Central Climate Science Center. In general, invasive species like ragweed can adapt to a variable climate. In addition to a wet spring, the soil moisture wasn't depleted as quickly as it was in previous years, she said. Those conditions helped weeds like ragweed thrive.
Metz said allergy sufferers should take an aggressive approach to treating allergies so they can return to normal as quickly as possible.
"People get used to having a bad fall for allergies, so they don't seek treatment options, and it can impair their personal lives and work," Metz said. "The better sleep we get, the more productive we are."
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Information from: The Journal Record, http://www.journalrecord.com
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