Welcome to Allergy Season!

It’s finally springtime in St. Louis! That means baseball season (Go Cards!) and an influx of runny noses

and red, itchy eyes. Yes, it’s allergy season once again! Everywhere you turn, there are lovely (and sneeze-worthy) flowers, storms causing sinus pressure, and a sudden outbreak of mold spores. In short, it’s a haven for seasonal allergies.

So what can you do to alleviate some of that seasonal discomfort? The National Library of Medicine can get the ball rolling, with a couple of general articles on allergies, allergic reactions, and hay fever, as well as how to handle allergies and asthma in relation to pollen, mold, and general care. For information on ALL kinds of allergies, check out the website for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, which has plenty of info on research, treatments, and types of allergens.

For additional info on treatment, check out this article from the Mayo Clinic and this one from the Food and Drug Administration, both of which discuss allergy medications. And if you determine that you need an allergist to see you through the season, check out this doctor finder from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. The AAAAI also has a “virtual allergist” to help address some general questions, though keep in mind that you should talk to your doctor about anything you want to treated or tested for. Here’s an article discussing how when you may or may not need allergy testing.

If you’d like to brave the nice spring weather, check the AAAAI's page for local pollen counts and then stop by the St. Louis Public Library and pick up one of our books on allergies, a few of which are listed here:

• The Epidemic of Absence: A New Way of Understanding Allergies and Autoimmune Disease by Moises Velasquez-Manoff
• 100 Questions and Answers About Allergies by Jonathan Corren
• Allergies and Asthma: What Every Parent Needs to Know edited by Michael J. Welch
• The Vitamin Cure for Allergies by Damien Downing
• No More Allergies, Asthma or Sinus Infections: The Revolutionary Diet Approach to Eliminating Upper Respiratory Problems--Including Children's Middle Ear Infections by Lon Jones
• The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick--And What We Can Do About It by Robyn O'Brien with Rachel Kranz

One final thought before we go: no matter how much we may hate seasonal allergies, we’re not alone. According to this study from the National Institute of Health, the prevalence of allergies is the same, no matter where in the U.S. you live.