Fifty million people suffer from seasonal allergies. The lack of a good, long freeze this past winter and the return of warm temperatures early in the spring mean there’s more pollen to go around. Some might say it’s one of the worst allergy seasons on record, but Dr. Holly Brown isn’t so sure
"I think every season is a bad season for allergy sufferers," Brown says Sometimes, pollen counts don’t mean a thing — it’s how people react to the allergen. This year, a certain symptom is dominating all the rest. Brown says, "We tend to see a lot of eye symptoms from the pollen and that’s what I’ve been hearing a lot of people complaining about lately, is itchy, watery eyes."
Tree pollen is starting to die down right now but grass pollen is starting to pick up. July brings relief for most allergy sufferers until the end of the month when corn pollen kicks in. It’s followed by ragweed starting in August. "I usually say it starts when it warms up and it goes away when it freezes," according to Brown. Meaning millions will suffer itchy eyes, runny noses and scratchy throats for months.
There are three options for people dealing with allergies. The first is medicine. The second is avoidance — staying inside with the air conditioner on and showering before bed to remove all the pollen from your hair and skin. The third option is allergy injections. They act just like flu shots by injecting the allergens back into the body.
