Health Talk - Spring Allergies

If your sniffling or sneezing it could be spring allergies, we learn about some of the triggers in our Health Talk With Baptist.

What is the cause of most sprin allergies?

The biggest spring allergy trigger is pollen - tiny grains released into the air by trees, grass and weeds for the purpose of fertilizing other plants.

When pollen grains get in the nose of someone who's allergic, they send the immune system into overdrive.

As trees start to bloom and pollen is released into the atmosphere, allergy sufferers begin their annual ritual of sniffing and sneezing.

Each year, 58 million americans fall prey to seasonal allergic rhinitis, more commonly known as hay fever.

Pollen can travel for miles, spreading a path of misery for allergy sufferers along the way.

The higher the pollen count, the greater the misery.

The pollen count measures the amount of allergens in the aire in grains per cubic meter.

You can find out the daily pollen count in your area by watching your local weather forecast.

Here are some of the biggest spring allergy offendors.

Trees including oak, pine, willow, elm, hickory, and cedar.

Grasses and weeds including bermuda, fescue, johnson, perennial rye, timothy and ragweed.

Allergy symptoms tend to be particularly high on breezy days when the wind picks up pollen and carries it through the air.

Rainy days on the other hand cause a drop in the pollen counts because the rain washer away the allergens.

Join us next time for health talk with baptist when we will discuss treatments for spring allergies.

Mail your topic suggestions to health talk at wcbi dot com.

Health talk has been brought to you by baptist memorial hospital golden