Spring 2023 Allergy Forecast!!!

Typically, allergy season in Pennsylvania begins in early spring and can last until the first freeze of winter. Climate change, however, has begun to change the calculus. Warmer and wetter conditions mean that pollen season tends to start earlier, last longer, and result in more severe allergies.

Brace yourselves… We are seeing people who have never had pollen allergies now experiencing symptoms. People are having to take allergy medication as early as mid-February to get ahead of the spring season. Some people with eye and nose inflammation are seeing inflammation in their lower airways. In other words, allergies aren’t just a nuisance; they can also affect a person’s breathing.

How to Manage Seasonal Allergies

The best offense is a good defense, complete with strategies to prevent and manage allergy symptoms. While avoidance of allergens is key, Dr. Manav Segal offers practical strategies:

• Know when your allergy season is. Tree pollen season for the Philadelphia region runs March through April.
• Stay indoors when tree pollen peaks in the early afternoon.
• Stay indoors on hot, windy days when pollen levels tend to be higher.
• Wear eye protection when biking.
• Keep windows closed when driving.
• Remove and wash clothes that have been worn outside.
• Shower to rinse pollen from the skin and hair.

Prescription and over-the-counter medications can help, though medications should be used only as directed by prescribing information or as directed by a physician. More serious allergy indications include asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. When avoidance and OTC medications do not help, see an allergist.

Testing to determine the source of an allergy can help to avoid specific triggers and determine modes of treatment. For some, immunotherapy can be a good option. Guided by a board-certified allergist such as Dr. Segal, immunotherapy helps desensitize people to specific allergens by retraining the immune system to tolerate those allergens.