April marks the beginning of the peak allergy season in Northeast Ohio.
Dr. Samuel Friedlander, a University Hospitals allergist and immunologist, said he expects this year to be severe.
"With the weather that we had, I'm unfortunately expecting a pretty strong allergy season this year," he said, adding a wetter winter helped lead to more tree growth and additional pollen. "I've already started to see increased numbers and degree of severity of allergies. I'm noticing that people are having more complaints of itching of their eyes and nose, sneezing, runny nose, even asthma exacerbations and skin allergies."
But there are ways to limit pollen's effects on allergy sufferers, including sneezing, itchiness and congestion, including limiting pollen exposure while indoors, Friedlander said.
"I recommend that we treat the allergies so that people don't have to limit their life," he said. “I usually tell people that when you're outside, be outside, but when you're inside, try to stay inside. So that means keep your windows closed both in the car and in the house.”
He also recommended using central air conditioning and air filters to keep pollen out of the house, and taking showers at night to avoid breathing in pollen while sleeping. Allergy sufferers should also have other people mow their lawns if they are allergic to grass or trees, or wear a mask while mowing their lawn if they cannot have someone else do that task, Friedlander said.
These actions are part of the first step to treat allergies, called avoidance measures. After taking this step, Friedlander recommended individuals take allergy medicines to lessen the impact of their allergies, such as antihistamines or corticosteroids, and then finally try to boost their immune system with allergy shots.
Allergy sufferers should avoid over-the-counter nasal sprays, he noted. These nasal decongestants can make people feel better at first, but lead to worsening symptoms over time, known as rebound congestion.
“Their congestion can be so bad that they can't even breathe through their nose," Friedlander said. "That leads to trouble with sleeping, and it just leads to feeling miserable.”
He recommended using these products sparingly, for at most a few days.
