Doc: Snowy winter makes for severe spring allergies

There should be some sort of upside to having weathered the winter of 2013 but for those who suffer from seasonal allergies, snow is the gift that keeps on giving.Allergy season is in full bloom right now and according to Dr. James MacLean, chief of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Medicine at North Shore Medical Center, the snowy winter is making for a tough allergy season.?This year has been a particularly high year (for pollen counts),” he said. “When you have a winter with a lot of snow, you have a lot of snow melt. The trees are well fed after a winter like this and they?re ready to pollinate. Last year, when there essentially was no snow, those trees wake up thirsty and they don?t make as much pollen.”To add insult to injury, the sunny, warm, breezy days that we?ve been enjoying the last week or so are also contributing to high pollen counts.?The nicer the weather, the higher the pollen count,” MacLean said, adding that the pollen count drops when it rains.There are three seasons when it comes to seasonal allergies, MacLean said. Tree season is in the spring, grass season is in the summer and week season is in the fall.?We?re in the peak of tree season right now,” he said. “It all starts with early tree pollen.”MacLean said the first trees to come out tend to be poplar and maple, followed by birch, oak and then pine. That season starts in April and rolls through May and into early June.MacLean said the pollens that tend to cause the most symptoms come from birch and oak trees and that tends to peak right around Mother?s Day. He said the birches tend to come out around the last week in April. He said they haven?t seen much oak yet.?When we see birch as same time as oak is when most people are the most miserable,” he said. “We?ve had a really high pollen count (this spring) with maple and birch. We?re waiting on oak. The maple is almost done. Usually when oak comes it?s fairly dramatic. We see a lot of eye symptoms (itching, watering) from the oak”The good news is that for most people things start to improve around the first week in June when the tree season is ending, MacLean said. Although grass season kicks in during the summer, it?s usually not as big a problem.?The next big season is fall with the ragweed. We get a bit of a break in the summertime,” he said.If misery loves company, it might be comforting to some to know that between 20-25 percent of people are affected by a seasonal allergy and it spans all age groups. MacLean said seasonal allergies tend to start in childhood.?For seasonal allergies you have to have about three seasons of exposure,” MacLean said. “They often develop around the age of four and for most people they continue throughout life.”For some, allergies are just seasonal, but others suffer from perennial allegories (dust mites, animal dander, mold spores). The truly unfortunate get hit with all of the above. MacLean said allergy symptoms can have big impact on a person?s daily life and this includes children.?Kids who have allergies that are not well controlled don?t sleep well,” he said, explaining the lack of sleep causes fatigue and that makes them less alert.?It can affect quality of life,” he said.So what?s a sufferer to do?The first step is to distinguish whether the allergies are seasonal or perennial. A doctor can determine this through a skin test. As far as treatment goes, it can vary from over the counter medications like Claritin, Zyrtec and Allegra, to prescription medications, which can include nasal sprays. If those treatments are ineffective, allergy shots might be recommended.There are also environmental controls a person can use to help lessen the symptoms. MacLean said the pollen count tends to be highest in the early morning and during the day.?You might want to avoid walking the dog the first thing in the morning,” MacLean said.Air filtration systems, as well as conditioning because it also filters the air, can also be helpful, he said, adding that allergy sufferers should al