Allergy sufferers: grab your tissues as region sees early start to pollen season

Sarah Hofius Hall, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read

Apr. 10—Allergy sufferers, grab your tissues and nasal spray.

This year's mild winter has brought an earlier start to tree pollen season. And this week's weather — with temperatures expected to reach the 80s by the end of the week — will lead to more sneezing and congestion.

"Look out. It's here, and it's going to be more amplified," said Mark A. Frattali, MD, an ear, nose and throat doctor with Lehigh Valley Health Network. "They symptoms are going to escalate."

The website pollen.com calls for high levels through this week. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America again this year ranked Scranton one of the worst places for allergies. The report bases a total score on pollen, over-the counter allergy medication use and the number of allergy specialists. Scranton is third, behind Wichita, Kansas and Dallas, Texas.

And allergy season is lasting longer, according to a report released last month. The nonprofit Climate Central analyzed how warmer temperatures have affected allergy seasons since 1970. On average, the growing season has increased by 15 days, lengthening the time plants have to grow, flower and release pollen.

A good judge for seeing how much pollen is in the air is to look at your car after it's been parked outside, said Warden Hua Hwan, MD, an allergy and immunology doctor with Geisinger. Pollen settles on vehicles, giving them a yellow tinge.

"We haven't hit the peak yet," he said. "It's going to get worse before it gets better."

Hwan recommends allergy sufferers keep their windows closed and to use a daily nasal spray, such as Flonase, and over-the-counter antihistamines, such as Claritin or Zyrtec.

Along with over-the-counter medications, which Frattali recommends patients start before symptoms develop, people should also consider immunotherapy, which involves giving gradually increasing doses of the allergen to which the person is allergic. That can involve allergy shots or self-administered allergy drops done at home on a daily basis, he said.

Besides medication, people should keep their windows closed, even when the weather is nice and shower and change clothes when coming back inside.

"The biggest thing you can do is prevent the pollen from coming into the house," Hwan said.

Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter.