JACKSON, Miss–The time has changed, the sun is out, you’re counting down to your vacation..and your eyes are watery. Spring is here, and so is pollen.
You’ve got the itchy, watery eyes, and the culprit is that yellow dust coated on your car and floating in the air. Pollen isn’t even at its strongest yet–which is why you need to start fighting your allergies now.
“Even if your symptoms are not at their worst,” says Allergist Dr. Daniel Vanarske, “if your doctor has prescribed you a recommended allergy medication, you can start taking those now, two weeks before the season amps up.”
The nasal sprays have to be started early in order to get in your system. With allergy pills, you don’t have to start weeks in advance. If you’ve never made a trip to the allergist or gotten a prescription, there are numerous over-the-counter seasonal allergy treatments.
“Those are the antihistamines,” says Dr. Vanarske, “they work fine for most patients.”
But if medication doesn’t solve your problem, you may need to make a trip to the allergist for allergy testing. Otherwise you can try to outrun pollen. But in the Magnolia State, distancing yourself from pollen is nearly impossible.
“Close your windows and doors to your house and car. Some people see benefit in wearing a mask if you work outside,” Dr. Vanarske adds, “but that may be a little cumbersome in Mississippi.”
