An expert shares how to reduce allergy symptoms this spring

Family physician Dr. Vera Kohut speaks on the best ways to combat seasonal allergies with spring underway.

As blossoms bloom, trees start to sprout and the grass regrows this spring, many Canadians will be suffering from allergy symptoms. In fact, according to the Canadian Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Foundation, one in four or five Canadians experiences hay fever during the springtime. Stuffed up nose, itchy watery eyes and sneezing are all common symptoms that plague allergy sufferers for a few months of the year, but one medical expert explains that there are ways to navigate and even tackle these seasonal conditions.

What triggers allergies in the spring?

Dr. Vera Kohut, a Toronto-based family physician, told CTV’s Your Morning on Tuesday that spring is the time of year when plants, trees and grass start to sprout, which triggers pollens to come alive too.

“We have snow mould, a fungus, which is sitting in cool, damp areas, and now that the snow is melting away it’s capable of becoming airborne as the weather gets warmer,” she said. “Trees are starting to sprout … all these things are starting to open up.”

How can you reduce the impacts of allergies?

Kohut said that the first way to address your allergy symptoms is to be aware of what’s happening in your area. You can do that by checking on the various weather sites that have a daily pollen count.

Secondly, on days of high pollen count, be sure to change clothes after being outside and wash your face to rid yourself of any potential pollen that’s on you.

Kohut also advised to close all windows of your house on high-pollen days.

What medicines can you take for allergies?

There are several over-the-counter options available to help with allergy symptoms, including antihistamines, saline rinses and decongestion sprays.

Many common brands of antihistamines are taken orally and can help with decongestion. There are also antihistamine drops for itchy, watery eyes – though Kohut cautions that these drops can impact soft eye contacts.

There are also saline rinses, like neti pot, which clear your nasal passages of the pollens that are coming in through your nose. Rinses can also help clear your nose for other nasal spray medications like steroids.

What are long-term solutions for allergies?

For those who suffer from chronic allergy symptoms, Kohut said there are options that require long-term management, like allergy shots.

These are a series of shots that contain a small dose of allergens that are exposed to your body to help build a resistance.

“Over time, you become more tolerant,” Kohut explained. “And that tolerance will give you a decreased reactivity to those pollens.”

There’s also a newer therapy known as sublingual immunotherapy, which is taken under the tongue.

But Kohut stressed it’s important to know what your specific allergy is in order to treat it properly in the long-term.

“They’re really helpful, because what they’re doing is fighting a specific allergen that you you’re reacting to,” she said.

She said while you can rely on over-the-counter remedies, “when we get into longer stuff, and you can’t avoid it, and you can’t be away and lock yourself in the house, you need some help.”