Spring and summer are prime seasons for allergies. Even if you don't consider yourself an "allergy person," you might still find yourself with a sniffly nose when pollen counts climb. Here's what you need to know.
Joanna Lambert, family nurse practitioner at Riverside Medical Group's Primary Care East Court Clinic, shares helpful information about seasonal allergies — including ways to manage symptoms and when it's time to call your provider.
What Causes Allergy Symptoms?
Allergens include pollen from trees, weeds, grasses, and molds. In early spring in Illinois, tree pollen is the main culprit — think ash, elm, maple, oak, and walnut. Late spring and early summer bring grass pollen. Come fall, ragweed takes over, lingering from about August through November across the Midwest.
The most common symptoms are congestion, itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and coughing. Some people also develop postnasal drip, which can cause a sore throat. "In younger kids with postnasal drip, they'll often have an upset stomach with it," notes Lambert.
Symptom Relief Options
There are several ways to manage allergy symptoms at home:
- Over-the-counter antihistamines such as Zyrtec, Allegra, or Claritin are a common first step.
- Steroid nasal sprays like Nasonex are especially helpful when congestion is the dominant symptom.
- Saline nasal rinses (like a neti pot) can help clear blocked nasal passages.
"I always tell my patients, those two together are going to give you the best symptom relief, and you really need to take them consistently on a daily basis — not an 'as needed' basis — to get complete symptom relief," says Lambert. "Allergy specialists will tell you, if you know you have spring allergies, start taking those two things two weeks before you even get into the season."
When Is It Time to See Your Provider?
For many people, over-the-counter options are enough to get through allergy season. But if you feel like you're constantly getting sick, it may be time to make an appointment.
"We can really figure out if you are actually getting sick, or if this is something you're just environmentally exposed to," says Lambert. "There are other environmental allergens we are exposed to year round that could be causing these symptoms. We can run a respiratory panel, an environmental panel, and really figure out what is causing them."