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Spring Pollen is HERE!!

Now that the weather is warming up, the trees are taking advantage of the sun, warmth, and breezes to spread their pollen far and wide. 

Allergy suffers are feeling the effects of the pollen. Runny noses, sneezing, nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, itchy throat, nose, and watery eyes are all symptoms caused by Spring tree pollen. Symptoms generally start in February/March and last through the end of April or the beginning of May. For grass and weed pollen sufferers, those symptoms can persist into the Summer and Fall months. 

Medications that can help are generally available over the counter now. Oral long-acting antihistamines such as Allegra (fexofenadine), Zyrtec (cetirizine), Claritin (loratadine), and Xyzal (levocetirizine) can help with the itchy symptoms. The nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, and running nose symptoms can be treated by using a steroid-based nasal spray such as Flonase (fluticasone), Nasacort (triamcinolone), or Rhinocort (budesonide). These can take some time to become effective, so they should be started early and used daily to maximize their effectiveness. Antihistamine eye drops can help with itchy, watery eyes. Pataday (olopatadine), Zaditor, and Alaway are available. 

Some patients may need additional treatment options, especially if the medications are not effective, there is intolerance to medications, or if longer lasting treatment is preferred.

We offer evaluation and testing for environmental allergies and treatment options, including maximizing and optimizing available medications and desensitizing patients with individualized treatments called aeroallergen immunotherapy or "allergy shots."