Allergy season in full swing in Lethbridge

Spring is here and with it comes allergy season. After a slow start to the season, plenty of people are now reaching for their allergy medication.

A cooler start to spring delayed many plants and trees from fully blooming.

But with warmer temperatures, plants are in bloom and pollen is in the air.

The start of spring is one of the worst times for allergies.

“As we start to finally get into the warmer spring weather, we’re going to start to see the trees fully pollinate. You know, they’ve been pollinating for the last few weeks, but it’s been a cooler, slower start to our pollen season,” said Mariam Hanna, allergist and clinical immunologist.

About 25 per cent of Canadians suffer from seasonal allergies.

Local pharmacies have seen an uptick in customers coming in looking for antihistamines.

“Depending on what someone is allergic to, this is probably the worst time for allergies for a lot of people,” said Amber Mueller, Stafford Pharmacy clinical pharmacist.

The best defence against allergies is prevention.

If you have allergies, try to avoid going outside and close your windows on days with high pollen.

But if you have to go outside, make sure to take an antihistamine beforehand.

“The best thing is to avoid it. So if possible, avoid whatever you’re allergic to. Stop the symptoms from happening. You could use a nasal spray if something like congestion is a common symptom with the allergen exposure,” said Mueller.

There may be another way for chronic allergy sufferers to beat their symptoms.

Immunotherapy can be done to help train the body to overcome allergy symptoms.

The therapy can help to lessen reactions and reduce dependence on allergy medications.

“The point is that you’re training your body so that when that pollen season hits, you have less symptoms and you need less medications, and you do it a few years in a row and then you remember for the rest of your life. So it is worth considering it, especially if you’ve been having these symptoms for a couple of years now,” said Hanna.