An Early Start to Allergy Season

A mild winter that ended with a flourish of warm weather was a welcome surprise for many Americans. But for the 25 to 35 percent of people who suffer from hay fever, the early arrival of warm weather meant an unusually early start to allergy season. In some parts of the country, allergists say they have been seeing a rush of patients as far back as February experiencing sneezing, sniffling and stuffed sinuses brought on by a weak winter and unexpectedly balmy weather. Trees release their pollen as the weather turns warm, and in parts of the country where spring seemed to arrive a month or two early, so, too, did high pollen counts. . read more.

Are You Making Your Spring Allergies Worse? Five Things That Can Aggravate Your Suffering

Fruits and veggies, air filters, spring breezes, procrastination and self-medication -- each can delay relief from a stuffy nose, sneezing, sniffling or other symptoms if you're one of the more than 35 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies. "People with spring allergies often don't realize how many things can aggravate their allergy symptoms so they just muddle along and hope for an early end to the season," said Myron Zitt, M.D., past president of the ACAAI. "But there's no reason to suffer. A few simple adjustments in habits and treatment can make springtime much more enjoyable." The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) and its allergist members alert people with spring allergies to be on the lookout for these five things that can aggravate suffering. . read more.