An Immunologist's Best Recommendations For Treating Seasonal Allergies

If the severity of your allergy symptoms ebbs and flows throughout the year, you may be experiencing seasonal allergies. Itchiness, a tickle in the back of the throat, runny nose, teary eyes, and more can all strike when spring rolls around, according to experts at Yale Medicine. However, it's not uncommon to experience seasonal allergies during the autumn months too, reports the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI). Pollen from grass, trees, and ragweed plants are the predominant culprits behind seasonal allergies. However, increases in mold growth during certain seasons of the year can also trigger the condition.

Seasonal allergies are not uncommon. In an exclusive interview with Health Digest, Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Network, explains just how many people experience the condition. "50 million Americans suffer from [seasonal allergies] in some form," she states. For this reason, Dr. Parikh offers her top tips for combating seasonal allergies.

Dr. Parikh's first tip is to determine whether or not what you're experiencing is, in fact, seasonal allergies. "First, confirm they are allergies and not mild covid," she tells Health Digest. To do so, she emphasizes the importance of consulting with a board-certified allergist. She goes on to add that a specialist will be able to tailor a treatment plan to a patient's specific case by taking the severity of their symptoms into account. "Treatment varies based on what the symptoms are — some get mild symptoms and some get life-threatening asthma attacks," Dr. Parikh explains.

While some people may be able to successfully self-treat their seasonal allergy symptoms, Dr. Parikh states there are cases where professional medical treatment is warranted. "For any symptom that involves anything below the neck — coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain or chest tightness — do not self treat, see an allergist," she says. "Also even if you have eye, nose, or skin symptoms that are not improving with [over-the-counter] meds, see an allergist," she encourages. "Especially if they are interfering with your ability to work, go to school or function," Dr. Parikh concludes.

To learn more about the Allergy & Asthma Network, visit their website at allergyasthmanetwork.org.