TAMPA, Fla. — Florida has beautiful weather. That gorgeous weather has a downfall: a year-long allergy season.
Allergy sufferers may be sneezing and sniffling more, as climate change affects pollen-producing plants. Warmer temperatures increase the length of the growing season, meaning plants are producing pollen for longer, affecting people for longer periods of time.
When Florida emerges on the other end of the rainy season, allergy sufferers may find that they're affected by mold allergies too.
So how can you prevent symptoms like itchy eyes or skin, sneezing and sniffling?
We asked an expert. Dr. Nathan Waldrep, the Assistant Chief Medical Officer for the ambulatory division at Baycare Health says for many, the symptoms of allergies can affect our quality of life and interfere with daily activities. Some with underlying conditions, like asthma, may have a harder time dealing with allergy symptoms.
Dr. Waldrep says first, it's important to pay attention to pollen forecasts. "You can monitor pollen levels and they very much do change like our humidity and rain every day, so our meteorologist friends can tell you what we're expecting with pretty great accuracy."
Next, make sure you're creating spaces that limit your irritants. "Keep your air conditioning in your home and in your car on recirculate, don't have it pulling in outside air."
"If you are outside for extended periods of time, you can use a face-covering over your nose and mouth to limit exposure to pollen particles, "COVID-19 particles are much smaller than big pollen particles, so the masks you have now will do just fine," Dr. Waldrep said.
If you know you'll be exposed to your allergy triggers, you can take an antihistamine before your symptoms even start. Many people also find relief from nasal sprays or other treatments that flush the sinuses.
"From India, we have our neti pots, tried and true for a long time. For some, they can be a little intimidating but most who try them really are happy with the results," said Waldrep.
After spending time outside, shower and change your clothing immediately after coming inside. Don't sit on furniture with clothes that may have pollen on them.
"Shower, wash that pollen off your hair, wash it off your body," Waldrep said. He also suggests washing your pets that have been outside, as pollen may have gotten onto their fur or paws.