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Winter season is over and so is the severe flu season, but Spring has begun and it has brought some seasonal allergies along with it.
According to the health experts, the allergy season for the year 2015 is expected to be worse than last year. But the good part is that the allergy season will be much shorter.
Even though this allergy season could be possibly worse than the last or previous years, but this year’s allergy season is likely to be a little shorter than the normal one.
Rhinitis or hay fever is the most common form of seasonal which affects approximately 35 million people in the US yearly. It is caused by pollen falling from trees, grasses and weed. When trees and plants start blooming, loosened pollen grains spread into the air, causing several types of allergies in millions of people.
Dr. Tanya Laidlaw, Translational Research in Allergy director at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, says this year will witness late pollination by the plants, which will further assist in discontinuation of allergies by just few days or a week.
The main plants that are responsible for major symptoms of spring allergy, such as birch, classic oak and maple, will be pollinating later than normal in 2015.
Dr. Clifford Bassett, founder and medical director of New York-based Allergy and Asthma Care, holds global warming and its consequences on the weather conditions are distinguishing factors that plays major role in making allergy seasons more intense.
According to him, the surge in carbon dioxide levels and the degrading climatic conditions result in higher pollen growth. He says this is a bad news for the sufferers, i.e. people with high risk, of allergy season.
The experts strongly recommend people to start allergy medicine now, saying it’s just the right time.
Here are some of the tips to keep allergies at bay:
- Visit over-the-counter route along with oral antihistamines, nasal sprays and decongestants
- For more serious symptoms, visit your doctor and talk about allergy shots
- Wash your clothes as well as vacuum on regular basis. This will help in lowering pollen and mold from entering your home via your clothes or pets.
- Turn on the air conditioner as it will help in circulating filtered air.
- Preferring closing windows at home as well as car windows.
