Allergy season ahead of schedule

A burst of color like yellow daffodils, flowering trees about to bloom and people and four legged friends frolicking outdoors, Spring has indeed sprung.

Another sure sign, sneezing.

"Sneezing yeah," said Tom Carigilio. "Sneezing more than two times in a row."
   
That's right, allergy season is here.

Other allergy sufferers like Stephanie Baer didn't get much of a break thanks to a winter that never really flourished. "It was quite consistent all the way through from fall through to spring, usually I get a break."  

"This is a tough Spring for many patients mainly because of the mild winter, " says Dr. Ken Yanagisawa, an allergy specialist at the Hospital of St. Raphael. "People do have allergies in the Winter, it's just the patterns would usually subside before this big peak in the Spring.  And this year it's just there never was really this dip."  

Dr. Yanagisawa says the levels of tree pollen are already unusually high, up to a month ahead of schedule.

One preventative measure he says is nasal steroid sprays.

"Two things happen, they're primed so they don't get a sharp rise in their symptoms when their allergy arrives and two, the severity of their symptoms are not as bad," he said.

Michele Pollick now gets allergy shots after developing allergies ten years ago. "They've gotten better but they're not gone," she says.

With Winter a no-show, Michele says, "not much of a relief, not much of a relief at all."

She is looking at Spring with uncertainty. "I'm dreading it, I'm dreading it because I'm nervous as to what is going to come of it."

What can you do? Dr. Yanagisawa prescribes a number of things including avoiding going outside in the early morning when the pollen count is high as well as windy days when it permeates the air. Also, shower after spending a lot of time outdoors.

For more info and tips on beating allergies this Spring season visit WXedge.com