It鈥檚 that time of year again: springtime. And with the blooming flowers and occasional rain showers, comes watery eyes, itchy throats, and lots of sneezing. Allergy season is upon us.
Like me, you may have had the same exchange with your friends, coworkers, or even your barista: 鈥淭his allergy season is brutal!鈥 But is it really more unpleasant than previous years?
Is This Year鈥檚 Allergy Season Worse Than Usual?
You may think that your area of the country has been hit the hardest by this year鈥檚 allergy season. And while you may not be wrong, you鈥檙e not exactly right either. 鈥淚 think this is a common issue across all of the U.S.,鈥 says , an allergist and immunologist at Indiana University School of Medicine. However, in certain areas of the country, weather pattern changes may promote more pollination in our trees and grasses than a typical season, he says.
鈥淏ased on what my patients are telling me, it does seem to be a little bit worse than perhaps some of the more recent ones,鈥 Jin says. 鈥淏ut I will say, overall, there鈥檚 a lot of variability from season to season.鈥 It鈥檚 not unusual to have a season with higher pollen counts, followed by one with lower levels, he says, according to historical data. Pollen counts
You also may be dealing with those symptoms for a longer period of time. by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America found that recent pollen seasons are almost a month longer than they were 30 years ago.
Can Allergy Medications Become Ineffective?
If you鈥檙e anything like me, during the springtime months, you take your daily dose of an antihistamine, such as Zyrtec or Claritin, right as your morning alarm goes off. But if you鈥檙e still in a fog, you may wonder: Is this medication even making a dent?
鈥淚f a person鈥檚 been taking an antihistamine for a long time, they can seem to get less effective,鈥 Jin says. In that case, he recommends switching to a different antihistamine. If you鈥檝e identified as a Zyrtec person for years, you may want to switch to Claritin for a week or two鈥攐r vice versa.
When tablet medications don鈥檛 seem to do the trick at subduing your itchy eyes, Jin says you can discuss the option of adding on more medication with your doctor, such as a steroid-based nasal spray.
However, if the antihistamine and nasal spray treatments aren鈥檛 cutting it, Jin recommends meeting with an allergist to find out what you鈥檙e specifically allergic to. After completing those tests, you and your allergist can design a plan for desensitization, which may include allergy shots. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big way we help people manage the allergy symptoms,鈥 he says.
I鈥檝e Never Had Allergies Before. Why Am I Suddenly Being Walloped?
I鈥檒l never forget my first time鈥 developing seasonal allergies. It was the spring of 2020 and along with dealing with the start of the pandemic, I was also confronted with itchy and watery eyes. Developing seasonal allergies later in life isn鈥檛 unusual, according to Jin.
鈥淭he development of environmental allergies can occur at almost any time point in a person鈥檚 life,鈥 he explains. Even if it鈥檚 not well understood why that happens, Jin says he鈥檚 observed that in countless patients. You鈥攁nd I鈥攁re not alone in our late-stage seasonal allergy development. And while that may not be much of a consolation, here鈥檚 to hoping for lower pollen counts next season.