Spring is all about the flowers blooming again, the leaves or grass turning back to green, and the weather turning warmer. All seems well, but the downside is the pollen that falls from the trees. Forty-nine percent of the population claims to be affected by pollen. Popular pollen symptoms include sneezing, congested nose, watery eyes, and an itchy throat. “When my allergies come in, I normally sneeze, and my eyes get itchy and watery,” said freshman Julia Moody. Allergies start to occur in the spring season because all the plants begin blooming.
Pollen can come from many different trees and flowers that are usually just on the side of the road. For example, it can come from oak trees, sycamore trees, birch trees, and olive trees. As exciting as it is for flowers to blossom again and to see their beautiful attraction, they also contain a lot of pollen. Some flowers that have it are lavenders, sunflowers, and calendulas. From all these different types of nature, allergies occur from the pollen being blown off and spreading in the air or being inhaled from the plants. Therefore, sometimes it’s better to avoid being outside for long periods of time.
The allergies from this season can typically last from a few weeks to a few months of spring. The time it takes depends on the person and how badly their body reacts to pollen. “My allergies normally last from December to March,” said sophomore Vyenna Le. To decrease the longevity of the painful allergy months, there are some solutions and ways to help. Some ways include, wearing sunglasses outside to avoid pollen getting in the eyes, washing clothes more often to remove the pollen, and taking some medication. “I normally take meds like Zyrtec to help my allergies,” said freshman Eva Cook. With this, medication is one of the most popular ways to prevent spring allergies from getting worse.
Overall, with spring season here, much of nature is starting to bloom and show its colors. Even though it’s beautiful, many people these next few months will experience symptoms stated earlier. However, it can be more bearable and prevented making spring season more enjoyable.
