Allergy sufferers on the West Coast are experiencing an early onset of spring allergy symptoms, due to the abnormally dry weather.
According to CBS San Francisco, the drought that California has been experiencing is causing plants stress and triggering them to release more pollen. This means that spring allergy season, which shouldn't begin until March, is starting for some people in January. The warm and dry weather is encouraging the Alder, Birch and Juniper trees to create and release greater amounts of pollen during the early months of the year. In April, the Oak begins releasing pollen, and in May people's bodies will start responding to grass allergens.
This isn't good news for seasonal allergy sufferers, who are used to experiencing symptoms in the spring and aren't welcoming an early onset of the unpleasantness. However, there are a few ways you can mitigate your itchy eyes and runny nose:
- Shut doors and windows: If you struggle with seasonal allergies, then it's the high pollen counts that drive you crazy. Keeping your doors and windows shut will keep pollen outside where it belongs and help to ease your worse symptoms.
- Take frequent showers: When you return to your home, shower off and change clothes immediately to get the pollen off of your body and out of your hair. Also shower before you go to bed, so you don't leave pollen on your sheets that might aggravate you during the night.
- Wash your pets: Be sure to give your pets a weekly bath to get the pollen out of their fur.
You can also use an allergen air purifier to help with your symptoms, and be sure to wash your sheets more frequently during peak allergy season. If you have any questions about allergies or allergy solutions, contact Allergy Be Gone today.
