All Posts in "Month: May 2018"

With flowers blooming and temperatures starting to warm up, you may be reaching for your allergy meds — or maybe not.

It’s a little too early to predict the severity of the spring allergy season this year in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks to a warm winter, an early spring with vigorous springtime allergies was predicted as early as a month ago. But a cold front with snowfall and freezing temperatures has delayed the onset of the season and may affect the severity of spring allergies associated with it.

Dr. Sepehr Oliaei, an ear, nose and throat doctor at MultiCare, began seeing patients suffering from spring allergies in late February. In the Pacific Northwest, tree pollen (especially alder) is most prevalent from February to April, grass pollen from May to July, then weed pollen in August and September.

Oliaei recommends a three-pronged approach of avoidance, medication and allergy testing. Avoid going outside when pollen is at its peak, take medication as needed and have allergy testing done if your allergies become too severe.

Below are some additional ways to minimize exposure to pollen and some treatment options if you experience symptoms:

Avoiding pollen

  • Allergies tend to be worse in middle of the day, so play outside during the morning or evening to provide less exposure to pollen.
  • Wear glasses and a hat to keep pollen off the face and eyes.
  • If a child starts to experience a reaction while playing at a park, find a water fountain and wash their hands and face.
  • It also helps to wash off after play time outdoors.
  • Don’t dry their sheets outdoors in the pollen season, as they’ll accumulate pollen.
  • When you sleep at night, keep your head away from any open windows.

Seasonal allergy treatments

  • Taking a simple antihistamine before outdoor activity can help. Generic, over-the-counter antihistamines are very good and can cost a penny or less per dose. Don’t be afraid to avoid the expensive name brands.
  • A saltwater nasal wash or a neti pot can be effective at reducing nasal secretions and congestion, and saline doesn’t have any side effects.
  • Eye symptoms are primarily related to congestion. Any decongestant for the nose can also reduce eye symptoms, without the need for eye drops, which can sting and be hard to put in your child’s eyes.
  • If those steps don’t work, a whole host of other medications are available by prescription — intranasal steroid sprays, antihistamine (as a nasal spray or taken by mouth), eye drops, and Cromolyn, which is available by prescription or as over-the-counter nasal spray or drops.

Generally, allergies can be managed with simple medications and avoidance if symptoms are mild, tghey don’t interfere with your ability to sleep at night, and they don’t interfere with your daytime activities.

If your life is impaired by allergies, it may be time to consider allergy immunotherapy. Visit an ear, nose and throat allergy specialist for an evaluation and appropriate treatment.

 

Source: MultiCare Health System,

Pollen in its peak seasons can be avoidable, making life easier for allergy sufferers.

 a not-for-profit health care organization with hospitals or clinics in Pierce, King, Kitsap and Spokane counties..

Contributing Author by — May 29, 2018 in Health & Fitness

New Sound Transit bus fares, one of them affecting seniors, will start taking effect in July.

The transit agency’s board, in action taken in April, approved phasing-in changes to ST Express Fares. On July 1, bus commuters with an ORCA Lift or Youth pass will see a flat $1.50 fare, while senior or disabled passholders will pay a flat $1 fare.

Another change is two years away. On July 1, 2020, adult riders will pay a flat fare of $3.25 on all ST Express bus routes. The new fare eliminates the previous two-zone fare system in favor of one fare throughout the ST Express service area, officials said.

Additional information, including schedules and transit center locations, is available at soundtransit.org.

srmedia by — May 29, 2018 in News

Claudia Thomas, who as mayor of Lakewood was the first black woman to hold that title for any city in Washington, died May 12. She was 87.

Thomas was also one of Lakewood’s first elected officials after it gained cityhood. Starting in 1995, when Lakewood became a city, she served on the City Council until 2011. She was selected by the rest of the council members for the dual role of mayor in 2006 and also was deputy mayor for eight years.

According to officials of Lakewood, where she lived until her death, Thomas, a former teacher for the Kent School District, was known as a mother figure committed to giving a voice to overlooked populations, including youth. She was instrumental in the start of youth advisors for city government and the annual allocation of city funds for organizations focused on social and human services. Thomas also created Lakewood’s Promise, which focuses on helping children become successful adults.

“You could count on Claudia to be out in the community and know what people were thinking because she was always in motion,” said Don Anderson, Lakewood’s current mayor.

On a personal note, Anderson recalled how at every council meeting, Thomas would slip him candy.

“That showed the kind of person she was,” he said. “It’s a small thing, but it left a warm feeling.”

Claudia Thomas (left) is seen here with Andie Gernon, another former Lakewood City Council member, when they were honored by the city as two of its “founding mothers.”
srmedia by — May 29, 2018 in News

Growing up Catholic (I graduated from Aquinas) means that for all my life I have taken so many things on faith.  Then I entered the Age of Travel.  I toured cathedrals, learned about the Crusades, and began to see it for myself.

My first real eye-opener was on a Mediterranean cruise when we stopped at Ephesus and all of a sudden I was walking in Christ’s footsteps where He wrote to the Ephesians and Patmos, where in a cave John wrote the Apocalypse. Now these things actually meant something to me.

Then I read Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing Jesus.” Now those places and stores were jumping off the pages.  My desire to travel to these lands was beginning to grow.

My daughter just returned from a trip to Jerusalem. She has promised me that this is the most life-changing adventure she has ever been on.  I now want more than ever to pursue this. Would you like to come along? Let me know. If there is enough interest, we will put a group together and step back thousands of years to find out some of what makes us who we are and where our beliefs come from.

If this is not for you, then perhaps one of our other trips will be.  There may still be space available on either of the Alaska cruises. The first is on Princess, departing July 1 for a 14-day land and cruise tour.  The second is a seven-day cruise round-trip out of Seattle, departing July 29. On Oct. 7, depart to Albuquerque and the famous Balloon Fiesta, where you see the night sky light up as hundreds of colorful balloons rise high above the crowds.

Look ahead into 2019 and try a Viking River Cruise. We are holding space Sept. 17 out of Prague on an 11-day cruise through Germany ending in Trier and heading to Paris. You may leave the trip there or transfer to another, which is a seven-day cruise out of Paris to Normandy.  These do sell out fast, so don’t wait too long and be left on the shore.

Remember to send an e-mail to linda.finch@gmail.com and ask to be put on the e-mail list to find out about quick day trips. Those are the ones that come up suddenly when the time is right. An e-mail goes out and off we go to see something in the nearby area.

For further information on any scheduled trips or to plan your own, call me (Linda Finch) at 253-927-8207.

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Linda Finch by — May 29, 2018 in Lifestyle, Home, Adventures