FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes are all signs that you might be suffering from allergies. Right now, tree pollen is high in our area.
“With spring in bloom and us not having a freeze for a little bit, it's definitely been a rough allergy season for people,” said Dr. Bailee Lutz.
Dr. Bailee Lutz at Northwest Primary Care says if you are new to Arkansas like herself, allergy symptoms may be an unwelcome surprise. Thankfully, there are lots of options for relief. She says to start with a nasal steroid like Flonase or Nasacort.
“People often jump to the allergy tablets first, but the nasal spray is going to be a better bang for your buck with fewer side effects. And so that's where we want people to start. If that's not sufficient, or they're having more symptoms, then adding that nasal steroid like Claritin, or Zyrtec can be helpful as well,” she said.
Dr. Lutz says nasal rinses are also a great option to get the pollen out of your nose. They can also be useful for children who may be too young for nasal steroids or antihistamines.
Pharmacist Kathryn Stark at Collier Drug Stores says they’ve seen a lot of customers come in to buy allergy medicine recently.
“For the longest time, especially with COVID kind of affecting the market of medications, Flonase was really hard to come by along with other nasal sprays. Just because it helps treat all these symptoms and then with manufacturing issues, we did have a shortage now we're not seeing that at this particular moment,” said Kathryn Stark.
Dr. Lutz says sometimes people can confuse viral symptoms for allergies like fevers. If you have a fever, she says it’s a good idea to see a doctor.
“Fatigue can be due to allergies. And so if you're struggling with some headaches and fatigue it might be worth trying some allergy medication for a few days to see if things get better. A cough can be due to that postnasal drip from this not running down while we sleep from that congestion. And so the allergy medications can help that a lot as well,” said Lutz.
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