Allergy Season Upon Us Early This Year

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– South Carolina has had warm weather pretty early this 2018, casing mother nature to spring into action a lot sooner than those with allergies would like. Those sneezing are probably suffering from all the pollen in the air. ABC Columbia’s Angela Rogers spoke with an ear, nose and throat doctor to find out the best ways to stop the suffering.    

“We must be three or four weeks ahead of the typical allergy season with the warm wet weather. We got all the pollen,” Ben Paysinger said, with the Sinus Center of South Carolina. 

ABC Columbia’s Chief meteorologist John Farley said it is because the state has had an unusually warm February, causing most of the trees to pollinate earlier. Farley said even though the cold nights should be helping, it will not help a whole lot. Paysinger said there are some easy things for you to do if you are suffering from seasonal allergies.  

“A lot of it is to get the junk off your clothes, off of you. Take a shower when you come home. If you’re used to using a Neti Pot or saline irrigation system, wash your nose out. Get that allergy load out of your nose,” Paysinger said.  Dr. Paysinger said the oaks and wax myrtles are causing people to have itchy, watery eyes; nasal congestion and even headaches and a sore throat. While he said many of those symptoms may point to sinuses, it is most likely just allergies, and you do not have to rush to urgent care.

“I know I have an infection, you have to give me an antibiotic. Well that’s just the last thing in the world you need,” Paysinger joked.  Instead, Dr. Paysinger said basic care should help your symptoms. Get as much pollen off of you as you can, and turn the air on in the house instead of opening up windows right now. He said the pollen in the air this time of year is super fine, unlike pine pollen, which is more like heavy dust.

“The less it’s up in your airway the less likely you are to respond, the better you’ll feel,” Paysinger said.  Dr. Paysinger said if you try all these things for more than two weeks but have no relief, you should go to a specialist– like an ear, nose and throat doctor. But he says once the pollen settles down, allergies shouldn’t be flaring up as much. In Columbia, AR, ABC Columbia News.