Are you ready for the Spring Allergy Season?

Winter weather is still upon us but springtime is just around the corner and that means that seasonal allergies will be in full swing very soon.   Spring is such a beautiful time of year in Northern Virginia and a great time to be outside.  However, for thousands of people, springtime can be debilitating and dreaded by many.  Some people will be forced to stay inside just so they can breathe.  Many experience non-stop symptoms of sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, congestion, and runny nose with a foggy head or headache when they simply walk outdoors. Others may be luckier and only experience some of the symptoms associated with springtime allergies.

The most common triggers of springtime allergies are pollens, trees and grasses.  Tree pollens especially affect the Northern Virginia area.  The time and duration of springtime allergy symptoms is determined by the species of trees that people are reacting to.  Trees are the earliest pollen producers of the year, releasing their pollen as early as late February to early March and as late as June.  Tree pollens can aggravate allergy symptoms, even if they are not on your property, since trees release large amounts of pollen that can travel miles away from the original source.

When springtime allergies are high, other common, year-round triggers such as mold, dust and dust mites, animal dander or cockroaches may be exacerbated for some individuals.  This can happen because more burden is placed on an already stressed system during this time of the year.

Common springtime allergy symptoms include:

Sneezing

Itchy, red or watery eyes

Runny nose

Congestion

Fatigue

Headaches

Skin reactions

If you suffer from any of the above symptoms, you are not alone.   Pollen allergies affect nearly 19 million people in the US alone with one of the main symptom being allergic rhinitis, which affects between 10% and 30% of all adults and as many as 40% of children.

Spring allergy season hit us really hard last year, as the amount of pollen floating around was four times greater than normal.  Pollen is measured in grains per cubic meter.  For Trees, 1,500 grains per cubic meter is considered high. Last spring, some areas of the East Coast measured 6,000 grains per cubic meter, which is crazy high.  There is no way to predict if pollen counts will be as high this year since daily and seasonal weather conditions impact the pollen counts and make it difficult to predict precise pollen counts more than a few days in advance.  But, we need to prepare ourselves since each season seems to bring more and more pollen.

If you experience springtime allergy symptoms, get prepared for the season before it hits and address your symptoms before they arrive.  Why suffer through another spring season when you can get relief from spring time allergy symptoms (before they start) with a needless and pain free treatment that offers rapid long term results!

Give us a call for more information or check us out online.

Hope to see you soon.

DeBritt.