14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Ways to make allergy season bearable

Ways to make allergy season bearable

Reporter: Shannon Samson
New Media Producer: Rachel Chambliss

If your nose is running and your eyes are itching, you're not alone. One in five people has seasonal allergic rhinitis or hay fever. And, this year, it probably feels like it's hitting you all of a sudden due to the mild winter and abrupt onset of spring.

There are plenty of ways to make allergy season more bearable. When it comes to plants and trees, stick to what your nose knows. Dr. Jason White, allergist, says, "You're already sensitized to the native plants here. If you start bringing in new plants, you can develop new sensitization."

In this area, dogwoods, serviceberries and redbuds are the least likely to trigger an allergic reaction.

Dr. White has a rule of thumb that's easy to remember. The prettier the plant, tree or shrub is, the more flowers it has on it, and the better it is for you. "The maple tree doesn't have any flowers on it, and the maple tree requires the wind to blow the pollen far away, and that's what makes allergy sufferers so miserable. The dogwood, it attracts bees; it attracts beetles, and it carries the pollen on the bee. So, it's not as allergenic because you don't get exposed to it."

Pollen, by nature, is a sticky substance. It's that green grit that's all over your car this time of year. You can't see it, but it's also sticking to your skin, clothes and hair. "Make your motto, 'Leave the outdoors, outdoors.' Take off your shoes, so you don't track those things in the house. Change your clothes in the laundry room and leave those clothes in the laundry basket. Don't carry them throughout the rest of the house. Wash your hair before you go to bed at night so the pollen doesn't get on your pillow at night."

Look for allergy medication that treats only your symptoms. Overmedicating means unnecessary side effects. If you can't stand any of them or continually need higher doses of medication for relief, consider immunotherapy or allergy shots. A doctor gives you small doses of allergens until you build up a tolerance to them.

Immunotherapy works for 80 percent of the patients who try it. It does require time and money, though. Weekly injections are needed for two to five years, but it is the closest thing to a cure.

Basically, you need to stay inside as much as possible if you have allergies. Also, the doctor recommends you shut the windows in your home and in your car.

For more tips on how to stay healthy this allergy season, visit the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology at http://www.aaaai.org/.

Complete list of the best and worst plants and trees:

Flowers:
Alyssum
Begonia
Bougainvillea
Cacti
Clematis
Columbine
Crocus
Daffodil
Dahlia
Daisy
Dusty Miller
Geranium
Gladiola
Hosta
Hyacinth
Impatiens
Iris
Lily
Marigold
Narcissus
Pansy
Phloz
Salvia
Snapdragon
Sunflower
Tulip
Violet
Zinnia

Trees:
Apple
Cherry
Dogwood
Magnolia
Pear
Plum

Shrubs:
Azalea
Hibiscus
Hydrangea
Lilac
Rose
Verbera

Grasses:
St. Augustine

Most Likely to Trigger Allergies:

Trees:
Alder
Ash
Aspen
Beech
Birch
Box Elder
Cedar
Cottonwood
Cypress
Hickory
Juniper
Maple
Mulberry
Oak
Olive
Palm
Pecan
Pine
Poplar
Sycamore
Walnut
Willow

Grasses & Weeds:
Bermuda
Fescue
Johnson
June
Orchard
Pigweed
Perennial Rye
Ragweed
Redtop
Russian Thistle
Saltgrass
Sweet Vernal
Timothy