TAMPA, Fla. — Florida’s allergy season is back.
“I have noticed increased runny nose, also red eyes especially when I wake up in the morning,” said Simran Saini, who suffers from allergies.
If you suffer from seasonal allergies and are pollen-sensitive, you’ll likely start noticing symptoms like extreme congestion, itchy and watery eyes, sore throat, coughing, and wheezing.
“People with allergies, they’re more prone to get sinus infections, bronchitis, especially at this time of the year,” said Dr. Latha Chamarthy, an allergy specialist.
She’s seen more people come in with these symptoms recently.
“When people have seasonal allergies in the springtime, we do recommend avoiding outdoor activities as much as possible. Stay indoors,” said Chamarthy.
That’s something she recommends to her patient, Saini.
“When I do go outside, I do notice me getting a sore throat, even coughing. Sometimes I will get shortness of breath,” said Saini.
Dr. Rima Sanka has also seen an increase in patients.
“Patients are having the kind of early signs of it right now, in my opinion, and it will continue to get worse for the next two to three months,” said Sanka, who is an allergy and asthma immunologist.
“People can get a little bit of fullness and pressure in the sinuses, post nasal drip, throat clearing,” she added.
Kids can have different allergy symptoms.
“Oftentimes young children present with eczema, or atopic dermatitis, are the first sign of their allergies, and they may not develop the nasal and eye and throat symptoms until the next year or the year after,” said Sanka.
If you’re feeling symptomatic, Sanka said one of the best things you can do is try to control your indoor space. So do things like close your windows, change clothes once you get inside because they likely have pollen on them, leave your shoes at the door, keep your air conditioning running, and change the filter.
“People don’t think about how dirty their filters get when the pollen season is high. So if you typically change them once every three months, now you have to change them every month,” said Sanka.
“Taking a shower before you go to bed makes a tremendous difference. All that pollen that you see on your car windshield is also all over you. So washing your hair, washing your face,” she added.
Go see a doctor if your allergies are affecting your quality of life.
You can get tested for different things to manage your symptoms better.
“We use a plastic prick device… And it introduces the allergen into the top layer of the skin,” said Sanka.
There’s also over-the-counter medication that doctors recommend can help, too.
“If you’re having symptoms, you can also take antihistamines, nasal sprays,” said Chamarthy.
“You can feel better. Your quality of life is important. Your quality of sleep is important. It’s worth investing in yourself,” said Sanka.
