If you are an allergy sufferer, this time of year is probably going to cause you annoyance as those allergies start to pick up. With the weather staying warmer for longer, it is also likely that your allergies will stick around longer, causing you regular irritation. Since many allergies are related to the seasons, spring through fall are the times when most people suffer from this regular annoyance, usually called rose fever or hay fever, both of which are misnomers – roses and hay rarely cause the kinds of widespread allergic reactions that are usually seen around the world. The plants most likely to cause allergies are grasses, ragweed, trees, and weeds. When we have mild temperatures in the winter, spring allergies can begin spreading earlier, and when it rains more pollination can last longer than it has historically.
Allergies are the body detecting the allergens entering your body, usually through the nose, and then starting to vigorously attack those allergens. Since the allergens really don’t require this kind of overaction from the body, as a result, you suffer the same symptoms as if you had a cold. In addition to your nose running, sneezing, itching in your eyes and nose, and a range of other physical symptoms, you are more likely to feel fatigued faster, as well as developing dark circles under your eyes. For those with other respiratory problems, allergies can exacerbate or trigger more serious problems, such as an asthma attack.
The best way to deal with allergens is to learn what you are reacting to so that you can determine a treatment plan that focuses on what your body reacts to when you suffer allergies. There are a number of medications on the market; some that cause you to feel drowsy, others that can cause a myriad of problems, and some that may not be particularly effective. An allergen specialist can help you figure out what is best for your particular allergic reaction. When you know what you are allergic to, you will be able to determine what is causing your problems during the different seasons too. This means you can reduce your time outdoors, keep your windows closed, and take other measures to minimize your exposure. You can monitor the pollen count for the allergens that affect you so that you are able to continue to take those measures if the pollen starts sooner or last longer than you thought they would.
If you are interested in learning more, you can check out the full article at Health Matters: ‘Tis the Season … for Allergies, That Is.
* O’Connell and Associates provides this article for informational purposes only.