Allergies Hit Hard This Season

Stroudsburg, Monroe County - Rosemary Valentine picked up some allergy medicine Thursday. She said her symptoms seem to be worse than usual. She explained, "It's like walking around in a rain cloud all day. Your head hurts, your just not 100%."

And Rosemary is not alone. "Right now we know this is the worst allergy season on record," said Nurse Practitioner Ellen Anuszewski. She works at the Geisinger Careworks location inside Stroudsburg's Weis Market.

Doctors and scientists say a mild winter and damp spring allowed pollen to flourish. Anuszewski said,"There's dust, pollen, mold and it is a cumulative effect."

She said she has seen a lot of patients who never had allergies before. Many come in thinking they have colds. Anuszewski said,"You're fatigued, you're not sleeping right, food doesn't taste right and the quality of life is not good."

But there are some things that can help you feel better. Anuszewski suggested,"Some of the things that really help are closing your windows in the car and in the home, after you've been outside showering, ocean spray nasal spray, nasal rinse to rinse the pollens out of our nasal passage ways."

If you don't  take care of allergy symptoms, you could end up with something even worse. "It's prime for bacteria and viruses to enter and set up a secondary bacterial or viral infection," she explained.

If over the counter medicines aren't helping, you should make an appointment with an allergist. Call as soon as you can because it can take more than a month to find an open appointment slot during the busy season.