Local

Now is the time to get ahead of spring allergies, doctors say

ATLANTA — With all the concerns about coronavirus, people may get spooked by a more common ailment, spring allergies.

Channel 2′s Linda Stouffer talked to experts about what to do before spring allergies really hit. Every spring, Atlanta comes alive with blooms, branches and those bursts of pollen so thick you can see it.

And that's where the suffering really starts for some people.

Kayla Day said she feels spring coming on.

"Whatever eye has the most pressure behind it, I have blurred vision and a massive headache," Day said. "Even if you sneeze, it just hurts. It's just painful."

Pam Kelly, a nurse practitioner with the CVS Minute Clinic, advises her patients not to wait, but to get going on allergy treatments now.

"Take your medicine before the onset of symptoms," Kelly said. "Stopping that cascade inflammatory response and histamines that build up with allergies, start your medications 2 - 4 weeks in advance."

Kelly said once pollen really does kick up, do whatever you can to get the allergens off, like rinsing your nose.

"Rinsing out your sinuses with saline, changing your clothes, washing your body, and other things will help you get rid of that exposure," Kelly said.

An expert or a doctor can evaluate your body's response to make sure it's really allergies affecting you and not a virus or a cold.

Day said she is going to change to a different over-the-counter medication and add a nose spray.

“You will have a moment if you leave it untreated that it will be worse, and I don’t wish that on anybody,” Day said. “So (you should) just take preventative measures.”