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Article Category: Highlights

Well Starts with Allergy Care

Published on April 13, 2022

Last updated 12:28 PM February 13, 2024

Well Starts with Allergy Care

It’s that time of year again—flowers blooming, temperatures rising and people gearing up for outside activities in the warmer months.

If you’re one of the more than 50 million Americans suffering from seasonal allergies, you may take the yellow pollen as a telltale sign to stay indoors. However, that may also mean missing out on fun times with family and friends.

Instead of suffering with frustrating allergy symptoms for another season, take back control of your health with help from Wellstar.

Let's clear the air

If seasonal allergy symptoms—such as congestion, runny nose or itchy eyes—bring you down, don’t put off getting the proper care.

“Allergies tend to flare up in the spring and summer time,” said Dr. Oswaldo Henriquez, Wellstar ear, nose and throat (ENT) physician. “Allergies are a patient’s response to an environmental allergen or can even be present in the home, such as dust and pet dander.”

Other common causes can include seasonal changes or allergens like perfume and smoke inhalation.

Whether you suffer from seasonal allergies or a chronic condition like asthma, specialty care can help you stay on track.

Our ENT team works closely with allergists to create the best possible treatment plan for patients.

- Dr. Timothy Ryan

Wellstar ear, nose & throat physician

Expert care for allergies

At Wellstar, we treat a full range of adult and pediatric allergy conditions. Our specialists will partner with you to create a personalized care plan based on your needs.

When you are seeking care, it’s important to know that allergists and ENTs both treat the symptoms associated with allergies—but in different ways. Depending on your health needs, you may even require treatment from both specialists.

“Our ENT team works closely with allergists to create the best possible treatment plan for patients,” shared Dr. Timothy Ryan, Wellstar ear, nose & throat specialist.

“Allergists focus on non-surgical methods to relieve allergies, such as allergy shots or medication. However, when those remedies aren’t enough or a structural issue of the nose is present, ENTs can provide a surgical solution to help improve symptoms,” Dr. Ryan said.

Dr. Henriquez explained how surgery can provide relief for people with chronic allergies.

“ENTs offer a variety of surgical options to improve the passage of the nose,” he shared. “While this does not treat underlying allergies or change the patient’s response to allergens, it can help create more room in the nose and help make symptoms less bothersome.”

Nasal and sinus procedures help with drainage and can open the nasal passages to relieve certain symptoms. However, no matter the time of year, any type of nasal issue needs attention.

“Keep in mind, allergies are not the only cause of nasal congestion. If you are struggling with ongoing issues that impact your ability to breathe or smell normally, it’s important to get seen by an ENT specialist,” Dr. Ezeilo said.

Learn more about ear, nose and throat care at Wellstar or find an ENT near you.

Tips to fight seasonal allergies

As you work with your Wellstar team to form an allergy care plan, taking simple steps can also go a long way to help alleviate symptoms.

  • Get tested. Allergy testing can help identify environmental elements and foods that may affect you, so you can be prepared and limit your exposure. Ask your provider if allergy testing is right for you.
  • Learn how to avoid an attack. If you have asthma or allergies, it’s important to know your triggers and avoid them as much as possible. Be sure to team up with a specialist to help manage your condition as well.
  • Ask about medications. Consult your Wellstar provider to learn whether allergy remedies, such as antihistamines and nasal spray, may work for you. Your physician may suggest prescription or other medical remedies to treat your symptoms.
  • Check the weather report. Avoid outside activities on days that are dry, windy or have a high pollen count.
  • Shut allergens out. During spring, it may be tempting to open your windows and doors. However, that can only invite pollen and other allergens inside your home.
  • Stay on top of spring cleaning. Dust and vacuum often to remove potential allergens, such as dust, dander and pollen.
  • Don’t forget your four-legged friends. Be sure to wash or brush your pets more often to remove loose fur and dander.

Along with getting care for allergies, keeping your whole body healthy should be top on your list this spring. Learn more about how well starts with spring screenings.

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Oswaldo A Henriquez Timothy Patrick Ryan Allergy Care
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An allergy sufferer blows her nose

Highlights

How to Conquer Your Seasonal Allergies

The Weekly Check-up Atlanta


There’s an undesirable side to Georgia’s natural beauty. Just ask any allergy sufferer.

In the state’s warm climate, pollen from grasses, trees and ragweed causes itching, sneezing and wheezing almost year-round.

Dr. Timothy Ryan, a board-certified ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist at Wellstar, has tips for preventing and managing symptoms. On 95.5 WSB’s The Weekly Check-Up with host Bruce Feinberg, DO, Dr. Ryan shared his allergy tricks, as well as information on allergens lurking in the home, how to tell if allergy symptoms are from colds or sinus infections, and explained “antibiotic resistance” and why it’s a concern.

Seasonal allergies in Georgia

Dr. Ryan treats children and adults for various head and throat conditions, and allergies are a chief complaint.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranked the 100 most challenging places for allergy sufferers. In 2025, Augusta ranked 12th and metro Atlanta 40th.

“When you talk about allergies and how they lead to sinus issues, this area is one of the hotbeds in the entire country,” Dr. Ryan said.

Common-sense ways to prevent and treat seasonal allergy symptoms

Dr. Ryan recommends that if you have allergies, start preventive medicines two to four weeks before the season when pollen kicks up, using:

  • Over-the-counter (OTC) nasal steroids, such as Flonase (fluticasone) and Nasonex (mometasone furoate)
  • Oral antihistamines, such as Claritin (loratadine), Zyrtec (cetirizine HCl) and Allegra (fexofenadine)

“Being consistent with these things is most important,” Dr. Ryan said. “You need to do them every day for the maximum benefit.”

Even then, allergy symptoms can break through. In those cases, Dr. Ryan recommends adding:

  • Antihistamine eyedrops such as Pataday
  • Saline sprays and rinses to wash irritants from your nose and sinuses

Aside from medications, Dr. Ryan described extra steps allergy sufferers can take to reduce their discomfort:

  • Check pollen counts daily and limit your time outside when they are high.
  • Use HEPA air filters in every room inside your home.
  • Service heating and air-conditioning units and change out filters regularly.
  • Take off your shoes and possibly change clothing when coming indoors from outside.
  • Shower before bedtime to prevent pollen from getting into your bed.

Indoor allergens also stir up symptoms

Another culprit causing allergy symptoms is dust mites. These microscopic, insect-like pests feed on flakes of dead skin or dander shed by humans or pets. A caller on The Weekly Check-Up described having itchy ears at night, which Dr. Ryan said could be caused by an allergy to dust mites.

“We call these year-long or perennial allergies,” he said. “And patients need year-round treatment. Changing your pillows, wrapping your mattress, washing bedding frequently and putting HEPA filters in the room can help.”

Even Dr. Ryan has a routine to prevent discomfort from particles or pollutants that might have crept into his nose. “Before bed, I spray my nose with normal saline to get a moisturizing coating. You can also flush out your nose using a neti pot or other irrigation system,” he said.

“As soon as you lie flat (in bed), all the blood flows to your head, and you’ll get a little more swelling in your nose. We call that nasal cycling. If you’ve already picked up all those irritants over the day, you’re just putting gasoline on a fire.”

Is it allergies, a virus or a bacterial infection?

In peak allergy season, Dr. Ryan’s schedule is full of patients with nasal congestion, runny noses and facial pain and pressure. But not all are suffering from allergies. Some may have a cold or another virus. In rarer cases, they may have a bacterial sinus infection.

“The thing that separates viral infections from allergies is usually fevers and a feeling of malaise,” he said. “Typically, a patient with a bacterial sinus infection has those symptoms plus a heavy yellow or brown nasal drainage.”

Dr. Ryan noted that even in the last case, a provider won’t jump quickly to prescribe antibiotics. “Those symptoms need to last for seven straight days, or you need to get worse over those five to seven days before we start to worry that you need an antibiotic.”

OTC medicines for congestion, cough and pain usually relieve symptoms of viral and bacterial infections. Patients should also drink plenty of fluids and use a saline spray to prevent infection from the buildup of fluids caused by a cold or allergies.

“We have to be very smart about when we give antibiotics,” Dr. Ryan said. Healthcare experts have concerns about the mounting evidence that overuse of antibiotics is breeding “antibiotic resistance.” Bacteria can adapt and evolve, becoming immune to antibiotics. That can become life-threatening if someone has an infection that antibiotics can’t treat.

Find a Wellstar ENT specialist

Allergies are just one of many ear, nose and throat conditions that Dr. Ryan diagnoses and treats. Others include:

  • Acid reflux
  • Cancers of the head and neck
  • Hearing loss
  • Sleep apnea

Learn about our ENT services and find a Wellstar doctor near you.

Keep reading
Provider looking at patient's neck

Highlights

Keep Your Head & Neck in Check

Take charge of your head and neck health. Talk to your care team about how you can stay ahead of serious concerns before they start.  

Most head and neck cancers—including oral, throat and thyroid cancers—begin in the mouth or throat. 

Here are a few steps you can take to keep your head and neck in top shape, so you can live your healthiest life.  

Cut tobacco & alcohol

Tobacco use, including smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco such as chewing tobacco or snuff, is a major risk factor for head and neck cancers. The use of alcohol and tobacco together can be especially risky.  

Inhaling anything other than a prescribed medicine, including the use of e-cigarettes and marijuana, could increase the risk as well, according to Dr. Timothy Ryan, a Wellstar ear, nose & throat physician. 

“Abstinence from smoking any substance is always the best answer when it comes to your head and neck health,” Dr. Ryan said. 

Protect yourself from the sun 

Ultraviolet light, such as exposure to the sun or artificial UV rays like tanning beds, is a major cause of cancer on the lips and scalp. Protect your lips by using a lip balm with sunscreen, and make sure to wear sunscreen on your face and neck when you go outside, even in colder weather. Protect your head from sun exposure with a hat.

Be mindful of HPV

According to Dr. Ryan, human papillomavirus, or HPV, is one of the main risk factors for head and neck cancers. 

“There are two main risk factors for head and neck cancers that we see most commonly. One is from smoking,” he said. “That can be made worse from alcohol use. The other is actually a virus, and it’s a really well-known virus, human papillomavirus.” 

About 70% of cancers in the oropharynx (which includes the tonsils, soft palate and base of the tongue) are connected to HPV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Talk to your provider about HPV prevention and exposure, and seek treatment if you are showing signs of HPV. Although many people with HPV don’t have symptoms, some develop warts in the genital area.

Gardasil-9, the vaccination against HPV, protects patients against the types of HPV that cause most HPV cancers. Patients from age 11 to 46 should consider vaccination after speaking with their clinician.

Know the risk factors

Some jobs can also be risk factors. The construction, textile, ceramic, logging and food processing industries can cause exposure to substances like wood dust, formaldehyde, asbestos, nickel and other chemicals. These increase the risk of cancer in the nasopharynx, or the top part of the throat. 

And if you have been infected with the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis and some other illnesses, you could be at higher risk. Previous radiation treatments to the head and neck can also increase your risk.

“Talk to your healthcare provider about your health history so they can help you evaluate your risk,” said Dr. Fiyin Sokoya, a Wellstar head and neck cancers surgeon. “They can help you take action and prevent cancer.”

Watch for symptoms

Symptoms of head and neck cancers will vary based on which part of the head and neck they appear. Signs include:

  • Hoarseness that persists or worsens over several weeks
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Sore throat that does not go away
  • A lump that does not go away
  • Painless lump in the neck
  • A white or red patch on the gums, tongue or lining of the mouth
  • Swelling of the jaw
  • Bleeding or pain in the mouth
  • Blocked sinuses that do not clear up with antibiotic treatment
  • Frequent headaches of unknown origin
  • Tooth pain or denture problems
  • Ear pain
  • Swelling near the jawbone or under the chin
  • Numbness or paralysis of the face muscles
  • Difficulty hearing or pain or ringing in the ears
  • Trouble breathing or sleeping

While it’s important that everyone look for symptoms of head and neck cancers, these conditions are more likely to affect men. Men are three times more likely to be diagnosed with oral and throat cancer compared to women, according to the American Cancer Society.

If you are showing any symptoms of head and neck cancers, contact your healthcare team.

“Annual dental and oral examination by your dentist is the best way to screen for head and neck cancers,” Dr. Sokoya said.

Learn more about how Wellstar cares for head and neck cancers.

Keep reading
Illustration of people holding hands with hands raised. Text reads "Wellstar Starlight Grand Gala"

Highlights

Wellstar Foundation Gala Raises Over $1M for Pediatric Services
Wellstar Foundation raised more than $1 million to support innovation and advancement across Wellstar’s pediatric services during its annual Starlight Grand Gala on April 22 at The St. Regis Atlanta. This year’s event resulted in the highest dollar amount raised in the event’s 24-year history.
 
Sponsored by ApolloMD and Bank of America, the sold-out black-tie event was emceed for the second year by Condace Pressley, director of community and public affairs at WSB-TV and a member of the Wellstar Foundation Board of Trustees. Special guests joined nearly 600 corporate and community partners from across Georgia, including Atlanta Braves alumni Brian Jordan and Evan Struck, one of America's most sought-after speed painters who travelled from Michigan to perform at the event. Attendees also participated in a moment of remembrance and reflection after the recent passing of Wellstar Health System Emeritus Board Trustees Bob Prillaman and Walter Robinson to honor their legacy of service.
 
A last-minute donation from Atlanta Hawks Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, a long-time friend and ambassador for Wellstar, energized the crowd early in the evening with the opportunity to bid on a set of four tickets for NBA playoff Game 4 between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. While Dominique was unable to attend in person this year, his passion and belief that everyone deserves world-class care, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay – especially Georgia’s young people – was evident in the room.
 
This message was echoed by Julie Teer, Wellstar Foundation President. “A healthier future begins with the well-being of our young people, and ensuring that our kids have access to the physical and mental healthcare they need has never been more critical,” said Teer. “At Wellstar, we care for the whole family, and we’re there for every life milestone – starting at birth. That’s why we’re focused on the state’s most pressing health needs through advancing solutions to health equity, increasing access to behavioral healthcare services, accelerating innovation, and helping ensure we have a thriving healthcare workforce to foster the health and well-being of our communities for generations to come.”
 
Wellstar physician leaders Dr. Carrie Stinson, chief of pediatrics, and Dr. Timothy Ryan, lead physician for ear, nose and throat (ENT), shared how Wellstar serves the broad spectrum of pediatric needs in our communities.
 
“Wellstar Pediatrics has grown to serve over 300,000 young people each year at our pediatric offices, pediatric emergency departments, inpatient units, NICUs, surgical centers and specialty care locations,” said Dr. Stinson. “Donations to our Foundation play a critical role in bringing forward improvements across Wellstar Pediatrics, including funding the pediatric emergency department at Wellstar Douglas Medical Center, which opened during the pandemic and meets a vital need in that community. And as we look to the future, philanthropy is helping us continue to expand access to world-class care for children and families that’s in their community and among the physicians and care teams they know and rely on.”
 
Dr. Avril Beckford, retired chief of Wellstar Pediatrics, was celebrated and honored with the Physician of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Beckford practiced with pride and passion for over 40 years, spending 30 years at Wellstar where she defined the vision for Wellstar Pediatrics that continues today. There are countless families across the state, like the Galli family, who have received the care they need when they need it most because of her efforts. And, she was instrumental in bringing to life initiatives such as Small Talk, developed as part of Literacy and Justice for All, a coalition of leading organizations including the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation, United Way, Atlanta Speech School Rollins Center and Marietta City Schools — all committed to ensuring youth have the literacy skills needed to succeed in life.
 
Nadia Paul, a nurse at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, was also recognized by Wellstar President and CEO Candice L. Saunders with the Caregiver of the Year Award for her exemplary service and dedication to delivering “More than Healthcare. PeopleCare.” Paul’s compassion and care go above and beyond her daily responsibilities, and the award recognized her actions to pull together a bedside wedding in the coronary care unit for patient Derrick Butler and his now wife, Kizzy, when he couldn’t attend their wedding on his own.
 
Wellstar is one of the most integrated health systems in the state and is nationally recognized as a leader in healthcare innovation. Serving nearly 1 in 6 Georgians, Wellstar is the largest provider of charity care in Georgia and a top 10 provider in the nation. Gala proceeds support Wellstar’s commitment to expand pediatric services across every community it serves. And, through corporate and community partnership, the Wellstar Foundation fuels innovation and action to address the vital needs of diverse communities in Georgia. To make a tax-deductible donation or for information on future Foundation events and corporate partnerships, visit wellstar.org/foundation.

 

Collage of photos from gala. Clockwise from top left: Group of people posing for photo. People clapping. Two people laughing. Person painting eagle and American flag.

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