Most of us look forward to spring’s arrival: new blooms, new colors and warmer temperatures allowing more outdoor activity. But for the estimated 20 percent of Americans with seasonal allergies, spring can be a time of itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and other miseries of the season. Commonly called “hay fever,” these reactions are referred to by doctors as “seasonal allergic rhinitis,” where rhinitis means inflammation of the lining of the nose. People can be allergic to all sorts of things, but plant pollens are among the most irritating, and spring is their heyday.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the official group of doctors specializing in allergy, recommends that you see an allergist if you have prolonged or severe symptoms of rhinitis, associated asthma or recurrent sinus infections; if your quality of life is adversely affected; or if the medications you take seem not to be working.
But they also recommend 10 tips for avoiding allergy symptoms: