January 8, 2005
BY MATTHEW LAKIN
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Forget the flu.
That’s not what’s packing pharmacies and doctors’ offices these days.
Doctors blame the latest round of sniffles, coughs and sneezes on the warm weather residents have enjoyed for the past few weeks.
"This is unusual weather, which is causing unusual problems," said Mary Murphy, a medical assistant at the Regional Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center in Kingsport. "This is like spring instead of winter."
The spring-like weather, with temperatures in the high 60s, has brought a rash of afflictions for those who suffer from migraine headaches, allergies and sinus problems.
"We do see a lot of allergy flare-ups," said Bonnie Messerschmitt, nurse practitioner at the clinic.
Anyone going through it knows the signs – watery eyes, a runny nose, a dull ache behind the eyes, a hacking cough the first thing in the morning.
"When it warms up, you get itchy eyes," said Stan Addison, a patient. "Your nose stops up. It itched so bad I thought I’d rub my nose off."
Cleve Anderson, owner of Anderson Compounding Pharmacy on Bluff City Highway, said he’s seen more customers than usual come in asking for over-the-counter or prescription sinus medicines.
"The sinus people, they’ve had really bad episodes," he said. "This weather just plays havoc with your sinuses."
Changes in air pressure due to the temperature can cause blood vessels in the head to swell, leading to stuffy heads and increased migraines.
"It’s just like going up in an airplane," Anderson said.
As the warm weather stretches into its second week, flowers have started blooming, pumping pollen into the air at a time when most allergists don’t even bother to keep a pollen count.
Then there’s the mold, which causes as many problems as pollen.
"The mold is always there," Murphy said. "It never goes away. And the warmer it gets, the higher it goes."
Even doctors and pharmacists aren’t immune.
"It’s been affecting me," Anderson said. "What I’m using is Sudafed and guaifenesin (a drug to break up mucus secretions)."
The warm spell won’t last forever, but that won’t necessarily mean relief – just a new source of trouble.
"People will be turning on the heat, stirring up the dust in the house," Messerschmitt said.
Weather forecasters said they expect temperatures to start dropping next week.
"By Friday, we’ll finally start cooling down to where we should be," said David Gaffin, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Morristown.
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