Bad Spring Season Ahead For Those Who Suffer From Pollen Allergies

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Allergies, as many of us know, are nothing to sneeze at. Warmer weather means allergy season is on the way.

Jessica Kartalija with what you need to know to snuff out the sniffles.

Beautiful sunny skies, then snow, then more sunny skies. It's the perfect combination for a bad allergy season.

"With the sneezing and the sniffing and the runny nose," one man said.

Dr. Manaz Singla is an allergist and immunologist. He says this pollen season is going to be even worse than last year.

"This spring pollen season has already gotten off to a big start," said Singla. "We've already seen higher levels this year at this point than same time last year."

Forty to fifty million Americans are affected by allergies -- eight percent suffer from pollen allergies.

"If you are tree pollen allergic, prepare to suffer March, April and May. Grass pollen? May, June and July," Dr. Singla said. "Weed pollens July, August and September. So really some people don't get a break."

You need to treat allergies early with an antihistamine, nasal spray or eye drops. If you wait until allergy season is already here, it may be too late.

"If you have bad seasonal allergies, you probably need a nasal steroid spray, which you can get from you doctor or over the counter, and those take a week or two to really kick in," Singla said. "So if you know you have bad seasonal allergies, start your medicine now."

Here's something else that might help -- after spending time outside, change your clothes and drop them right into the wash. A quick rinse in the shower helps removed pollen as well.

Doctors recommend that you irrigate your sinuses to help flush out pollen, too.