If you’re sniffling and sneezing from the pollen in the air right now, you’re not alone.
Allergy season seems to be getting longer and more severe, with more and more people affected by it.
“We do sometimes develop new allergies throughout our life. And people who haven’t had seasonal allergies before might be surprised to kind of newly be a part of that group having all the symptoms,” said Dr. Nicole Saint Clair, Executive Medical Director for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah.
One in five children nationwide have a seasonal allergy, but according to the CDC, for adults it’s one in four, and that number is going up, with more people developing seasonal allergy symptoms.
“Warmer weather is allowing the trees to produce more pollen. They’re tiny, they’re microscopic and we breathe them in. They cover our skin, our clothing,” said St. Clair.
Dr. Saint Clair said there are two things you can do – limit your exposure to pollen or block them and get them out.
“When you’ve been out you can come back in and take a shower right away and try to wash those pollens right away and that can be very helpful. And if you’re sensitive you can also wear a mask,” she said.
Air filters and purifiers in your home can also help.
Over the counter medicines treat symptoms and reduce a reaction to allergies, but if your symptoms are more severe, immunotherapy is something you may want to explore.
“Sometimes we hear people talk about things that we call ‘allergy shots’, which is really just a form of immunotherapy, trying to help reduce your body’s response to any allergen,” said Saint Clair.
Immunotherapy treatment typically involves a series of shots administered by a doctor over a period of several months.
In Utah our allergy season peaks in April, May and September, and according to data it’s only getting worse. So now is the time to make a game plan to keep your allergies at bay.
