Mild weather means allergy season has arrived early
Here are tips to manage symptoms
Itchy eyes, runny noses and other symptoms of seasonal allergies came early for many people around the country this year, the result of a mild winter.
Mild weather can keep the ground from freezing and warm days that encourage early tree budding and pollen production are factors that can lead to early pollen season, said Dr. David Coleman, senior staff physician in allergy and immunology at Henry Ford Health.
There are three main types of pollen that cause seasonal allergies. Earlier in the spring, tree pollen is the main culprit. After that, grasses pollinate, followed by weeds in the late summer and early fall, according to an Associated Press report.
Some of the most common tree pollens to cause allergies include birch, cedar, cottonwood, maple, elm, oak and walnut, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Many Americans are allergic to several things at once, the AP reported. Allergists can run tests for several different triggers.
Coleman says the treatment of choice for seasonal allergies is intranasal steroids.
They do not work the day you start taking them, he said, and they must be used through the season that troubles you.
Antihistamines are also somewhat helpful, he said.
Coleman suggests the following steps to reduce exposure to typical allergens:
• Check pollen and mold counts at the National Allergy Bureau to better predict likelihood of symptoms: https://pollen.aaaai. org/#/.
• Keep windows closed, especially when pollen counts are high, and use air conditioning instead.
• After spending time outdoors, change clothes and wash hair.
• Wear a mask when gardening and doing other yard work.
More than 80 million Americans have seasonal allergies, the AP reported.