According to a number of allergy experts, last year was one of the worst allergy seasons on record across the U.S. A number of factors contributed to the high allergen count, including a harsh, long winter and a late blooming season. The long winter pushed spring allergy season into the summer, basically compressing the two. The end result was a nightmare for allergy sufferers.
While winter has been much kinder for many areas of the U.S. this year, don't get caught off guard this spring. In part one of our three-part series, we look at three ways you can prepare for spring allergy season:
1. Talk to an allergy specialist or doctor
Prior to taking allergy medicine, you need to know what you're allergic to. Doctors may give you an allergy shot, which will indicate your allergies, and then help you form a plan to better manage them.
2. Start taking allergy medicine early
Don't wait until you begin suffering from allergies to start taking medicine. According to Jaime Landman, MD, president of Florida Center for Allergy and Asthma Care, who spoke to Everyday health, "You should start drugs, which were previously effective, early in the season, before pollen peaks. This should be before we start seeing pollen in trees throughout the country in February, and possibly in January for southern states like Florida."
3. Understand your location
According to a report by the National Resources Defense Council, "scientific studies have shown that our changing climate could favor the formation of more ozone smog in some areas and increase the production of allergenic pollen such as that released by ragweed plant, the principle source of pollen associated with allergic rhinitis."
What does this mean exactly? Just because you live in the city, doesn't make you safe from seasonal allergies.
Check out part two of our three-part series for more information on how to prepare for allergy season. For more allergy solutions, visit Allergy Be Gone's store for a wide range of allergy control products.
