Blame your suffering on the weather and what’s in the air

CINCINNATI (WKRC) – For those who were outside on Monday to see the solar eclipse and were bothered by allergies, it’s not the sky that’s making you miserable; it’s the air.

A particularly bad allergy season is shaping up. A recent study analyzed pollen counts and found the perfect recipe for allergy season starting earlier and feeling more severe.

“It’s been worse these last few weeks. I think the weather’s changing so much,” said Danyale Marshall, who suffers from allergies.

That’s right, it can be blamed on the weather. A warm, wet early spring across much of the country has many feeling what Marshall and Kristy Swartsmith have noticed recently.

“Usually some nasal drippage, my eyes from the sun get some grossness, and it’s always a gamble on which nostril will work when I wake up,” Marshall said.

Swartsmith feels some of the same symptoms.

“Eyes, nose, the congestion, sometimes wheezing in my throat,” said Swartsmith.

It’s now estimated that one in four people are reacting to airborne irritants. The pollen and mold can irritate a person’s immune system and make the sinuses feel inflamed.

“Similar to last year, things are already [in bloom], trees are already in full bloom. And last year, I think was the worst allergic season I’ve ever seen in 30 years. Lots of upper respiratory, chronic upper respiratory tract congestion, lots of rashes, especially eczema,” said Dr. Scott Woods of TriHealth Family Medicine.

He said if over-the-counter medications aren’t helping to ease the misery, ask a doctor about prescription medications to help control symptoms.

“I get the double hit. Spring is horrible, summer is a reprieve, and then the fall tends to be my worst with mold,” Swartsmith said.

If medications don’t work, a person may be troubled by the outside, covering or shell on plants with pollen – known to irritate the immune system.

That means immunotherapy may be needed to calm down what triggers the body to react. There are pills for grass, ragweed, and dust allergies, but if trees are the culprit, allergy shots are likely still needed.

“This is definitely a primary care issue and can usually be addressed with one or sometimes two medicines. There certainly are a few people who are very allergic and will require multiple therapies,” Dr. Woods said.

Immunotherapy is a long-term treatment, more likely to help a person during the next allergy season than the current one.