With Spring Comes Allergy Season
The weather is getting warmer, flowers are budding, and trees will soon be in bloom.
Springtime is known as a time of renewal, and as nice as spring weather can be, for the 35 million Americans who have seasonal allergies, springtime can be a time for a renewal of suffering.
Many people may not even know they have allergies, confusing it with a chronic cold.
“It can be difficult to diagnose allergies, but instead of going out and purchasing all the different meds that you can find, the best thing to do is consult your doctor or pharmacist as soon as you start to experience symptoms," Sharon Cashman said. “Runny nose, watery eyes, itchy eyes, sneezing. Those are really common symptoms that you'll see with allergies.”
“April and May are known for tree allergies and then into the summer through the fall, grasses and weeds are more common.
Many over-the-counter treatments are available, such as Claritin and Zyrtec, as well as prescriptions if allergies are extreme, but when it comes down to it, Waverly Health Center 's pharmacist Sharon Cashman, says prevention is key.
“You need to prevent the allergy symptoms. Once the allergy starts, it's very hard to treat the symptoms and get ahead of it again. If you start now with your antihistamine, before the buds and the pollens come out, you can actually block the histamine that's being released and prevent some of those symptoms from coming on, and especially if you know you have seasonal allergies. Now is the time to start," Cashman said.
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