CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Health experts say the Carolinas could have a prolonged allergy season this spring.
As beautiful as this spring-like weather may be, it doesn’t feel the best when allergies start to kick in.
Dr. Roopen Patel with Carolina Asthma and Allergy Center understands the positives of living in Charlotte but dealing with allergies can be a pain.
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“It's a beautiful place to live," Patel said. "But allergies are something that I always tell everyone to consider."
So why does allergy season hit differently in the Carolinas?
Patel said that pollen season starts months sooner in the Carolinas, compared to other states.
"Our pollen season can start in January in some years. Most years, it's going to start in February," Patel said. "I did a lot of my training in Chicago, Illinois. We would tell patients the policies and won't start until April or May."
Patel's clinic is already seeing the early effects of pollen.
“We've already started seeing patients starting to complain that their eyes are starting to get itchy and watery, they're starting to feel some stuffy nose and runny nose," Patel explained. "So we know that pollen is out there.”
The good news is there's a way to get ahead of allergy season. Patel stressed that people should not waste any time and start taking their allergy medicines early.
“If we know that they're going to have a lot of congestion, I go ahead and have them start the nasal sprays to something like a Flonase, where if we can get it started early, it can help prevent a lot of the symptoms once the pollen counts do get much higher," Patel said.
Experts also said if people are outside doing yard work, wearing a mask can help keep those allergens out of their system.
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