Pollen allergies are back: Why are they so severe; tips to feel better

PHILADELPHIA - It is the time of year again to talk about seasonal allergies and if you’ve been suffering from irritated eyes and a runny nose, we don’t have to tell you this spring is one of the worst.

What we know:

It certainly makes an afternoon jog along the Radnor Trail more challenging, as Rhea Cuevas stated, "I’m just sneezing constantly. Just walking outside, I’ll sneeze like four or five times right away."

Cuevas is not alone. So many people are suffering from seasonal allergies. Jenn Trolley said, "Earlier and earlier, I feel like I start to take my Claritan and Flonase about two weeks ago and anytime you’re outside, you feel it."

What they're saying:

Philadelphia allergist, Dr. Manav Segal says allergy season is, in fact, starting earlier, with tree pollen levels beginning to climb in mid-February.

"The onset is earlier and with a longer growing season, it’s going to allow these trees to pollinate more. We also have more precipitation. That’s going to contribute to a higher pollen count," Dr. Segal explained.

And, the cause of the misery may not be what you think. Dr. Segal continued, "We see flowers blooming. We associate flowers with pollen causing the symptoms. That’s not the culprit. The culprit is the budding trees. That pollen is lightweight and it's invisible."

Dig deeper:

Dr. Segal says one in four people have seasonal allergies and they can develop at any point in life.

"When it’s going to be a particularly bad day, you can adjust activities around that. Pollen counts tend to be highest in the morning," Dr. Segal said.

What you can do:

Helpful tips include:

• Wearing sunglasses to shield your eyes from the pollen
• Avoid wearing contacts
• Wear a hat
• Changing clothes after being outside
• Take a shower before bed

Dr. Segal also suggests trying over-the-counter allergy medications. "It’s easier to keep symptoms under control if you start medications sooner rather than later," he said.

Big picture view:

Cuevas said, "The medicine helps a lot. Nasal spray is really crucial. Otherwise, I just kind of have to suck it up and deal with it."

Trolley feels the same way and said, "I’d rather be outside, so I just feel like if I can run outside I’m going to do it."

Dr. Segal says when the pollen count gets this high, even people who don’t have allergies can be affected.

Tree pollen season runs until the end of May, but when we have grass pollen season to contend with, followed by ragweed season, which runs into November, no relief is in sight until the first freeze.