Ask the Expert

Q. I've never had allergies until the past two summers, when I was hit hard by hay fever. Is it possible to develop allergies in adulthood?

A. In general, allergies are passed down with the family genes and symptoms begin in childhood, after one to two years of exposure to pollens, molds, dust mites or animals. Even though the symptoms begin in childhood, they may not become serious enough to be recognized as a disease until teen years or later.

There are, however, people who truly develop their allergies as adults. Examples of these are women who have their first symptoms during or shortly after pregnancy. Moving to a new location, where pollens or molds are more severe (West Michigan, for example), may cause symptoms to appear in a person who previously experienced none. Lastly, obtaining your first animal as an adult may ignite previously unnoticed allergies. Usually, food allergies are early childhood problems that tend to recede with age, but they are occasionally seen in adult years.

It is easy to confuse allergies with "sensitivities," which produce symptoms that mimic allergies, but – unlike allergies – do not involve the immune system. Examples are problems with cigarette smoke, perfumes, weather changes and occasionally hormones. As these sensitivities take many years to develop, they are rarely seen in children.

Allergies may produce varied symptoms and involve several different systems in the body. If the symptoms don't respond to simple treatment, an evaluation by a specialist should be sought to determine if an allergy is the cause.

Q. My college-bound son will be living in a dorm room next year. Should he be vaccinated for meningitis?

A. Yes, entering college freshmen should receive the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) prior to starting classes in the fall. The MCV4 vaccine is designed to prevent meningococcal disease. This is a potentially deadly form of bacterial meningitis, an infection of the tissues surrounding the brain.

The vaccine is referred to as MCV4 because it is designed to protect against four subtypes of the Neisseria meningitidis bacterium that account for many of the cases of meningococcal disease in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the disease strikes up to 3,000 Americans and kills 300 each year. It is spread by close contact with the oral secretions of an infected person – through coughing or kissing, for example. It is not spread as easily as a cold or flu, but initial symptoms can be mistaken for those common illnesses. Meningococcal disease is particularly dangerous because it progresses rapidly and can kill within hours; survivors may suffer long-term disabilities.

New college students are considered at a higher risk because of lifestyle factors such as crowded living conditions, moving to a new place with people from geographically diverse areas, sharing beverages and utensils, and having irregular sleeping patterns. Last year, the CDC issued a recommendation that college freshmen living in dormitories be vaccinated with the new MCV4 vaccine, which is given in a single shot. It was also recommended that adolescents and teens be vaccinated as part of a routine health checkup.

The vaccination is available from your pediatrician, family physician or the county health department.

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