Sarah Stultz: Spring is synonymous with allergy season for many – Albert Lea Tribune

Nose for the News by Sarah Stultz

Each year, as we transition from winter to spring, my enthusiasm for warmer weather often comes to a halt when I’m struck by what seems like a seasonal cold.
This year, true to past fashion, I’ve been dealing with a cold for about a week now.

It started as a dull headache, then turned into a bit of a runny nose, sneezing, coughing and everything. My voice is a bit hoarse as I type this, although things are looking up.

I also suffer from allergies, so I wondered if that played a role.

I don’t remember having any allergies as a child, but I feel like I developed sensitivities as an adult. For a while, I took an over-the-counter allergy pill every day – or as often as I could remember. After a while I forgot to take it, and things didn’t seem to bother me right away so I didn’t take it regularly.

Now, I think it’s probably time to consider starting over.

Apparently, there is such a thing as allergies in adulthood – which usually occur in people in their 20s and 30s, although it can happen at any age.

Doing a little research on allergy season this year, it seems it has already been worse this year for several parts of the country as they faced spring conditions three to four weeks earlier than normal, according to an article on CBS News.

The article stated that researchers predict that climate change is responsible for the worsening of allergy season, affecting both the length and intensity of the season.

The article advised people who have a doctor-prescribed steroid for allergies to start taking it early because it takes a few weeks to build up in the system. The article also advised allergy sufferers to keep windows closed as much as possible in the home and car to block out pollen as we enter the season and to be aware of pollen that pets can also bring into the home. inside.

For me, it’s about finding a balance to be able to enjoy the great outdoors this time of year while overcoming allergy symptoms.

We are just entering the season, but I hope everyone is enjoying the fresh air this week!

Sarah Stultz is the editor of the Tribune. His column appears every Wednesday.