How to Find Relief During This Very Bad Allergy Season
Recommendations from a pharmacist
I was looking out my window the other day — it was a beautiful spring morning and the wind was rustling the pine branches in the backyard. But as I looked closer, I noticed that wasn’t the only thing the wind was stirring up. Pollen, in the form of fine, yellow dust, was steadily blowing from the trees. By the next day, every surface in my yard was covered with a thick layer of the stuff.
Every year, millions of Americans are affected by seasonal allergies. Also referred to as allergic rhinitis, hay fever is among the top 10 most common chronic illnesses, leading to other problems such as loss of work productivity, increased visits to the doctor, and even asthma-related hospitalizations. Symptoms can present for a few months of the year, or they can make your life miserable all year round.
What can you do? More than ever these days, actually.
1. Know your enemy
When the yellow dust first invaded, I rushed to my computer. I didn’t even realize that pine trees release pollen. Was it highly allergenic? I was reassured to learn it was not, and was instead reminded that I needed to be concerned with grass pollens because those counts…
