Stories From Main Street: Springfield, NJ
SPRINGFIELD, NJ (WCBS 880) - Battling allergies is a complicated fight, as one a local radio journalist knows about firsthand.
After years of reporting about allergies, WCBS 880's Sean Adams figured it was about time he got checked out himself.
WCBS 880's Sean Adams At The Doctor
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"Woh!," said Dr. Leonard Bielory.
"That was a priceless reaction," said Adams.
"Your back is a priceless picture," said Bielory, who is with the Rutgers University Center for Environmental Prediction, was referring to red blotches and hives on his back - the result of being pricked with sixty different allergens. "Your skin tests were quite explosive and showing a reaction even while you're on an oral antihistamines... You have what I will call 4++, really severe reactions to multiple items."
Some of that, Adams already knew.
"You were 4+ for a variety of trees, dust mite. We picked up a mild cat allergen," Dr. Bielory said.
Now, Adams knows some more specifics.
"American Beech, red birch, red oak, sugar maple, box elder, hickory, red-top grasses - 4+," said Dr. Bielory.
It was actually easier for Dr. Bielory to tell him what he wasn't allergic to.
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Information is power.
Adams can dust regularly, avoid certain grassy areas and cats, and take medication when certain trees are in bloom, but for some people antihistamines, eye drops, and nasal sprays are not enough.
Brad Taylor of Springfield might need something more potent.
"This year just really zapped me and I'm like, 'You know what! I think I need to really see a specialist.'," he said.
"It was at the point that I couldn't get out [of the house]," says Ayal Betansky from Springfield. "Like everybody else, you take some kind of medicine - over the counter - hoping for good until you can't stand it anymore and then you come to the doctor."
He's receiving immunotherapy - allergy shots that help his body build up a tolerance, and he's hopeful that he can reduce the frequency of his visits to the doctor.
What's your allergy story? Tell us below in the comments section!
