Advice on preventing seasonal allergies

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - During the early spring, Arkansas sees an uptick in allergy symptoms.

This usually kicks off in late February and lasts through May.

The most common tree allergies in Arkansas are from oak, hickory, walnut, and willow trees.

People also get outside and mow their lawns, flaring up grass allergies like ryegrass and Bermuda, bent, timothy, and orchard grasses.

According to one local healthcare worker, showering after mowing the yard or being outside while pollen counts are high will help stop allergies at the door.

“I would recommend them to go see an allergist and get some allergy testing to see what they are really allergic to so they can avoid that contact,” said Nurse Practioner Lainda Farris.

Other outdoor activities may flare up allergies during the evening hours when pollen counts are at their highest.

“You can have seasonal allergies, like the trees blooming, pollen, and those types of things,” said Farris.

Farris added that if you are tired of medicating your allergies, there are many more options such as nasal spray and drops.

“Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec, and those are 24-hour-release antihistamines to try and curtail the symptoms,” said Farris.

If your allergies start to get worse and last more than 7-10 days, she said it might be time to visit the doctor.

“If it is like a daily thing, runny nose, watery eyes, itchy throat, sneezing, coughing, I would recommend them to go see an allergist,” said Farris, adding that it can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between seasonal allergies and other illnesses.

There are some easily identifiable symptoms that can help you tell them apart, including fever and chills.

“It’s more of an annoyance daily versus an actual illness you know that will involve fever, chills, that kind of thing,” said Farris.

Along with many types of grass, even chemicals can spark an allergic reaction.

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