Is your nose starting to inch and run more? Maybe you’re starting to feel your face getting puffy?
Well, allergy season is back, and though the temperatures have been cool so far this spring, News 5’s Power of 5 Weather Team said the pollen count in the northeast is increasing.
“The tree pollen is out there and making people miserable,” said Sandra Hong, chair of the Allergy and Immunology Department at the Cleveland Clinic.
Hong said there are seasonal pollen variations each year, and allergy reactions can sometimes grow increasingly severe depending on the year. If you’re already feeling symptoms now, you're not alone.
“I usually say when we start to see grass on the ground and buds on the trees, that's about the time that we start to have our spring allergies,” Hong added.
Dr. Kathryn Ruda Wessel, who specializes in Allergy and Immunology at Rainbow Babies Children’s Hospital, said pollen allergy symptoms can start as young as 6 years old.
She added if symptoms start impacting your child’s daily function, like missing school, it’s time to see a medical professional.
“Allergies can be a really complicating quality of life factor and that's really the trigger to see a practitioner that can help kind of identify what the allergen is and then give you a treatment plan that works for the patient depending on their age,” Wessel said.
Hong added it can be tough to tell the difference between allergies and a common cold as it’s still chilly in Cleveland, but the biggest difference is the constant itchiness that comes from allergies.
“The other thing is that every single year, around the same time of the year, you get symptoms, and they last for more than just two weeks,” Hong said. “Like you've got a season of allergy symptoms. It's more likely allergies than a cold that's persisting that long.”
Both Hong and Wessel recommend starting nasal sprays and daily antihistamines before more plants and trees begin to bloom.
When the pollen count is high, Wessel recommends to help mitigate exposure keep house windows shut and don't drive with the windows down.
“After extended periods of time outside, washing their hands, washing their face, changing their clothes,” said Wessel. “I always talk about pollen being microscopic. So, it's not always obvious that it's on us as it's floating through the air.”
