What You Should Know About Spring Allergies

Spring is beautiful, but it's also a key time of year for seasonal allergies. As plants release pollen, millions of people start to sniffle and sneeze. Here are seven things you need to know about spring allergies.

➠ Every year is a bad year: Climate change seems to be making allergies worse. Allergenic plants are bigger and produce more pollen, and seasons are starting earlier and lasting longer.

➠Don’t assume you know what you’re allergic to: Two-thirds of people with spring allergies also have year-round allergies to things like dust mites, mold, or pets. You may assume you’re allergic to your cat, for example, but testing may reveal that it’s actually something else

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➠ Over the counter decongestants are a waste of money: Decongestants without pseudoephedrine have very little effect. You are way better off getting a prescription for the real stuff.

➠ Allergy shots help a lot, but they’re not right for everyone: If you have only spring or fall allergies, allergy shots probably aren’t going to be worth your while. But if you have multi-season or year-round symptoms, they can help long-term with amazing results.

➠ It might already be too late: If you know you have bad pollen allergies, start treating them even before you have symptoms. Once your body ramps up its release of histamines and inflammatory chemicals, they’re that much harder to treat.

➠ Neti pots are weird, but they work: Many allergists like to use nasal irrigation themselves as a natural remedy.

➠ Your adult-onset allergies may have been around longer than you think: If you had recurrent bronchitis as a child, it could have been asthma. Adult-onset symptoms of allergies and asthma are more common today, but in some cases you just didn’t recognize symptoms you had during childhood.

One more thing: Stock up on Kleenex!