How long do springtime allergies last

Preparing now can help ease your symptoms throughout the season. Learn what you are allergic to and how to treat it before your symptoms get worse. Start taking medication around two weeks before you typically start to feel your allergy symptoms. Over-the-counter antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays can help manage your symptoms by reducing your allergic reaction after it starts but also before.

Antihistamines reduce or block histamines that cause your allergy symptoms. Pretreating with allergy medication before symptoms begin can help prevent inflammation and help ease your stuffy nose, itchy, watery eyes and other allergy symptoms. If you are looking to treat more than your symptoms, immunotherapy allergy shots can desensitize you to the allergens that are bothersome to you.

A traditional allergy shot program typically takes a few months before patients experience symptom relief, however; Rush or Cluster immunotherapy can reduce relief time to weeks or even days. Sweep out the winter cobwebs and get ahead on your spring cleaning. A deep spring clean includes dusting everything from the light fixtures to the bookcases, washing curtains, sweeping floors and rugs, even vacuuming furniture.

This will remove any dust and pollen that has already made its way inside. When you are done for the day, be sure to change your clothes and shower. Pollen can stick to your clothes and hair, making it easy to track pollen spores throughout your home. Tree and grass pollen are the main allergy culprits in the spring. Visit our pollen count webpage to find local pollen counts.

Tracking the days when your allergies are worse can help you plan accordingly. Medication is also hugely important in helping to manage symptoms and keep you focused even when those pollen counts get high.

Available over-the-counter, Rhinocort, Nasacort and Flonase are intranasal steroids and are effective and safe to use. Another effective measure against allergies, says Dr. Lang, are oral antihistamines. He also adds that allergy shots, called allergen immunotherapy, are also an option for properly selected patients.

With so many Americans suffering from seasonal allergies, Dr. Lang encourages patients to seek out the right combination of remedies that can help them, including seeing an allergist. While you may associate allergies with just a month or two out of the year, they an actually stretch out much longer. Learn more about vaccine availability. Advertising Policy. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

A dry cough, shortness of breath, and loss of smell, are all likely COVID symptoms, though there's always the possibility that these are the side effects of allergies. Overall, though, if you're having trouble telling if your symptoms are allergies or COVID, your best bet is to check in with a doctor's office or urgent-care center.

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