Doctor shares best steps for allergy sufferers to protect themselves as spring continues
GREEBURGH, Westchester County (WABC) -- Spring has sprung, and for allergy sufferers -- they know the feeling all too well.
But there are steps people can take to protect themselves from all the bad stuff that can make them feel miserable.
Spring is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's the complete opposite for seasonal allergy sufferers like Kevin Falcone.
"My eyes tear, my nose runs," Falcone, of White Plains, said. "I walk up here now, you see everything is in bloom, looks beautiful, but it's murder."
Sunny, dry, and gusty winds make for ideal conditions to move the springtime pollen from the trees to well, everywhere.
Just ask fellow White Plains resident Joe Schepisi.
"So I expect to go down and find the car green," he said. "So I have my nice magnetic cloth, I wipe it all down and hope I don't scratch it. That's my morning, and then i come here."
Dr. Kirk Sperber, allergist and immunologist at Scarsdale Medical Group, acknowledged it's been a particularly severe season because of the fact, "It's been sort of a warm winter and the pollen counts have been high."
Sperber added that late April/early May is the peak of the dreaded tree pollen season, which is far worse than the soon-to-follow grass pollen season.
As for mitigating all those sneezing fits, runny noses, and watery eyes, allergy relief medicines can help, but its best to start the regimen in early spring.
"It's much better if you are on board first and prevent what's happening than to wait until you are in crisis," Sperber says. "The longer the season begins, the worse the problems are. So if you start early and prevent the symptoms early on, it's much better."
Frequent showers help to wash away the pollen. And be sure to wear a mask during any outdoor yard work.
"I keep all the windows shut in the house, and just try to stay away from the outdoors for a while," said Jackie Renna. "And I come out in the evening."
Sperber said allergy shots might prove helpful, but they require that you visit the doctor weekly for six months.
That's a time investment many people just aren't willing to make.
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