Here's why your seasonal allergies are worse than last year—and how to get some relief

The symphony of sneezes and sniffles is a clear sign that allergy season is upon us. And if your symptoms are worse this year than last year, you're not alone.

The reason why your seasonal allergy symptoms are more severe is likely because winters are warmer and these days, according to , an allergist and immunologist in New York.

"There's higher amounts of pollen due to rising greenhouse gasses and more CO2 in the air, which plants thrive off of," Parikh said during an interview with C온라인카지노사이트 Make It last May.

Breathing in allergens like pollen, mold and dust can cause swelling in your nasal passages, congestion and a scratchy throat because "your body mistakes allergens as a threat to the body, so then you have histamine that is released," said , a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in behavioral sleep medicine, who spoke to in April of 2023.

Here are a few ways you can alleviate your allergy symptoms throughout the spring.

1. Keep your home as pollen-free as possible

Though it may be tempting to start your day with the window open, early mornings are when pollen is at its peak. Keeping your windows closed during that time can lower the amount of allergens that are flowing into, and circulating around, your home.

And once you walk inside your house after being outside, "change clothes, take off shoes and shower to avoid bringing pollen into [the] house with you," Parikh said.

Harris shared a few in your space:

• Change your sheets once a week
• Vacuum frequently
• Use an air purifier
• Avoid drying clothes outdoors if possible
• Don't use ceiling fans in your bedroom
• Place your hamper with the clothes you've worn outside in another room besides your bedroom
• Use hypoallergenic bedding

2. Take recommended medications

Grab medication from your pharmacy if you're dealing with allergy symptoms, Parikh said, and don't hesitate to reach for generic brands if needed.

She recommended allergy medications like:

• Claritin
• Zyrtec
• Allegra
• Flonase
• Alaway
• Pataday
• Xyzal
• Astepro

"Any cough, wheezing, chest pain [or] shortness of breath should not be treated with over-the-counter medications and [you] should see a physician," Parikh said.

"This could be asthma which is deadly, and allergies are the most common cause."

3. Give your local honey a try

While there aren't many studies that test the effectiveness of eating local honey on curbing allergy symptoms, it could be due to lack of funding, Dr. Timothy Wong, board-certified family medicine doctor, said to in 2023.

"Unfortunately when you're not using medications that have billions of dollars of funding for research and development, you don't get as many clinical trials," Wong said.

The idea behind the local honey for allergies lore is that "if you ingest the pollens that bring you discomfort, you build up an immunity against them," Andew Cote, head beekeeper at , told Make It.

"One spoon a day every morning is the recommended dosage," Cote said.

A with 40 participants found that eating honey daily for eight weeks, in addition to taking allergy medication when necessary, was associated with less allergy symptoms, compared to taking allergy medication without also eating honey.

To see potential benefits, Wong suggested eating local honey a few weeks before your allergy symptoms usually start.

Don't try the local honey hack if you're allergic to bees and wasps, Wong warned. And children younger than one year old should not be given honey either, according to the .

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