MEMPHIS, Tenn. — If you are not feeling well in the Memphis metro recently you are not alone. Medical professionals say allergy season is sprouting up sooner than you may think.
“With warm weather, we usually see allergy season, or allergy symptoms pop up a lot sooner,” said Shartondra Armour, a Nurse Practitioner at Methodist.
The American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology says the perfect combination of warmer weather causes plants to bud sooner than normal. The conditions have had people going to their healthcare providers, like Armour’s in Bartlett.
“Some flowers already blooming that aren’t supposed to be blooming, so with that warmer weather we see more pollen, more pollen increases allergies,” said Armour.
The sooner you can treat your allergies, the better according to Armour.
Yale Medicine lists allergy symptoms as:
Congestion
Sneezing
Itchy eyes, nose and throat
Runny nose and eyes
Post nasal drip (drainage in the throat)
Fatigue
Coughing
Armour says untreated allergies can sometimes lead to complications later on, like bronchitis or an upper respiratory infection.
“If your mucus is no longer white or clear, and it’s becoming yellow on a consistent basis, brown or green that’s usually a sign that it’s turning into an infection, so you want to get that checked out sooner than later,” said Armour, “If you’re already noticing symptoms now, our seasons are already warmer, I would say start your allergy medications now.”
Most medications can be found over the counter at your local pharmacy, like Claritan, Benadryl, and nasal sprays. If you get any medicine prescribed to treat your allergies, it is recommended you check with your pharmacist or doctor to see how it could affect you, especially if you have other medications or high blood pressure.
“Make sure you read the label, you can always ask your pharmacist, you can always call your doctor to see if those are safe to take with your medication,” said Armour.
Another way to fight back against bad symptoms during allergy season is to avoid dairy products. Food like chocolate, cheese or drinks like milk can thicken up your mucus, and potentially lead to an infection. If you end up eating or drinking dairy though, follow it with a glass of water to help thin the mucus.