Ragweed pollen increases with dry weather

Some experts say the recent spell of hot dry weather sparked an early outbreak of ragweed pollen to bother allergy sufferers. But Dr. Ravinder Agarwal says he always sees visits by allergy patients increase around state fair time.Most tell him they’ve had symptoms the past few days and this is State Fair time. For some, a good crop of the pollen-producing weeds may have brought on symptoms a few days early.Dr. Agarwal says symptoms may not even mean you have allergies at all.Sneezing doesn’t mean allergy, and though most clinic patients do indeed have allergies, a better clue is that it happens at certain times of year. Dr. Agarwal says there’s nothing wrong with trying over-the-counter remedies if you get symptoms that could be allergies or a summer cold, but if they don’t clear up you should visit a doctor. Dr. Agarwal runs a private Asthma and Sinus clinic in Des Moines.