At AFC Bridgeport we are already seeing people walking in with seasonal allergy symptoms,  earlier than usual. Allergies are expected to be worse than ever this year due to the extreme cold weather and the ‘polar vortex’. Because of all of the melting snow in much of the country and here in Connecticut, a lot of moisture has been produced and causes more pollen and mold spores to form. Many people are allergic to mold, and this year, we may even see allergic reactions in people who are not normally allergic to mold. You may be wondering Is it allergies or is it a cold, as often symptoms overlap.

Typically, with allergies the symptoms include itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing and sometimes asthma symptoms can pop up.
Cold symptoms on the other hand may include all of the allergy symptoms listed above but also can include a low grade fever, and the duration of a cold is typically shorter than that of allergies, which can go on for weeks and sometimes months.

You can prevent seasonal allergies from taking over your life. Some of the measures include remaining indoors on high pollen count days, using your air conditioner when indoors rather than opening doors or windows, taking frequent showers when coming in from outdoors, and while in the car, using the air conditioner to filter pollen rather than opening windows.
Often times, even when you’ve tried to prevent allergies, medication is required.

Treatment of seasonal allergies is typically over the counter drugs such as Benadryl, Clariton or Allegra. Also a nasal spray called Cromolyn Sodium can be helpful as a prevention tip. One thing many don’t know is that allergy medication should be taken about 2 weeks before allergy season to have enough time to get into your system.

If you’re feeling these symptoms and need a doctors care, please don’t hesitate to come into AFC for an evaluation.