Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Sandra Hong gives some tips on how to beat spring allergies.
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00:00 - First day of meteorological spring is actually tomorrow,
00:03 but many folks, spring-like weather has already arrived
00:07 and that comes with springtime allergies.
00:10 Meteorologist Tony Labak joins us now
00:12 with some tips on how to combat them.
00:14 - Yes, meteorologist Sneezy here at your service today.
00:20 And normally when I start a story like this,
00:23 this time of year, I'm gonna ask you guys there,
00:25 watching from home, how many of you are ready for spring?
00:28 Well, as Melissa has been alluding to all night,
00:31 a lot of folks have been really already enjoying
00:33 that spring-like weather,
00:34 but with that comes those springtime allergies
00:37 and you are certainly not the only one suffering from that.
00:39 And there are some easy ways to combat that
00:42 this time of year.
00:43 The winds of spring have stirred
00:48 and if you're prone to spring allergies,
00:50 it's time to start preparing.
00:52 And with many folks enjoying spring-like weather
00:54 in the final weeks of winter,
00:55 some are already experiencing symptoms.
00:58 - As we start getting warmer days
01:00 and there's less snow on the ground,
01:02 we'll start seeing the trees start budding
01:04 and the tree season is the springtime.
01:07 And so we get a lot more pollination
01:09 during that period of time.
01:10 And so it's floating in the air
01:11 and we absolutely can start getting allergy symptoms.
01:14 - Allergy symptoms include itchy eyes, nose and throat,
01:17 sneezing, coughing, congestion, and post-nasal drip.
01:21 So what can you do to provide some relief?
01:23 Keep your windows closed.
01:24 It may be tempting to open them up as the weather warms,
01:27 but it's an easy way for pollen to get into your home.
01:29 You should also change your clothes
01:31 and take a shower at night
01:32 so you're not bringing pollen inside.
01:34 And pets who will go outside
01:35 should stay off your bed as well.
01:37 - The types of medications that work extremely well
01:39 for allergies are things like the nasal steroids.
01:43 There are also nasal antihistamines that can help
01:46 if the nasal steroids aren't.
01:47 And then the oral antihistamines
01:49 can actually help with a lot more of the itching
01:52 and the sneezing and the dripping.
01:54 Dr. Hong says if you continue to have issues
01:56 with your allergies or aren't sure what triggers them,
01:58 consult an allergist.
01:59 You can also download the free AccuWeather app
02:02 or log on to accuweather.com
02:03 to see the daily allergy index.
02:05 - Now, of course, the daily allergy index,
02:11 if you are a sufferer for allergies, Melissa,
02:12 is probably like the AccuWeather real feel.
02:14 When it's really, really cold,
02:16 you probably don't wanna see how bad it actually is.
02:19 And for some folks, it is really bad this time of year.
02:22 But a lot of the over-the-counter medicines
02:23 are able to combat that for most people.
02:26 Unfortunately, there's that small percentage of y'all
02:28 that need a little extra help with that this time of year.
02:30 But we're all in this together
02:33 and we'll all get through it together.
02:34 Remember, with the warm weather
02:36 comes great responsibility and great cost.
02:38 And sometimes that is a lot of sneezing.
02:41 - You're first from meteorologist Sneezy, I believe.
02:46 Is that our new name?
02:47 - That is the new name this time of year.