MONROE - Sniffles, coughs and wheezes are on their way as allergy season looms.
You can blame your mom's or dad's genes all you want, but the real culprit is pollen and mold that clogs up your nasal passage or turns your eyes as red as beets. Janis King is an advanced practice registered nurse with a specialty in asthma education at Monroe Clinic Hospital. She said early cases of mold allergies are showing up in Monroe, but pollen season is fast approaching. King said she can tell just by looking at the children who walk into the pediatrics portion of the hospital which ones are suffering from allergies.
"They come in with creases on their little noses from constantly rubbing at their face," she said. "We call them Dennie creases."
Unlike what some social media trends like the #pollenvortex would have you believe, this year is not yet shaping up as better or worse than last year, King said. The pollen season isn't in full swing just yet, but mold raised its lumpy head after the snow melted.
"Once the warm weather really hits, everything starts to pop," she said.
Allergies are usually passed from generation to generation, and King said it appears to be more along the maternal line. She said allergies can kick in at any age - as early as two months old - though she heard of a man showing his first allergy symptoms in his 80s. King said it is still unknown just what triggers the onset of allergies at a given age.
King had a few tips to ward off the annoyance of runny noses and itchy eyes: Make sure to keep your clothes and bed sheets clean, and don't hang them outside if you have allergies. She said showering and cleaning your hair also helps. Over-the-counter drugs like Claritin and Benedryl can aid you before allergy symptoms arrive, but she said the best way to clear out your sinuses is to invest in saline flushers like Neti Pots.
"If you don't like the sensation of pouring something down your nose you can get the squirt bottles," she said.
King said windy warm days are the worst for stirring up pollen, and rainy days tend to ease the problem spores of cottonwood, maple and oak.
According to a local pollen alert on Weather.com, tree pollen numbers have been steadily growing all week in Monroe, with high alerts slated for Friday and Sunday and a very high alert for Saturday.
You can blame your mom's or dad's genes all you want, but the real culprit is pollen and mold that clogs up your nasal passage or turns your eyes as red as beets. Janis King is an advanced practice registered nurse with a specialty in asthma education at Monroe Clinic Hospital. She said early cases of mold allergies are showing up in Monroe, but pollen season is fast approaching. King said she can tell just by looking at the children who walk into the pediatrics portion of the hospital which ones are suffering from allergies.
"They come in with creases on their little noses from constantly rubbing at their face," she said. "We call them Dennie creases."
Unlike what some social media trends like the #pollenvortex would have you believe, this year is not yet shaping up as better or worse than last year, King said. The pollen season isn't in full swing just yet, but mold raised its lumpy head after the snow melted.
"Once the warm weather really hits, everything starts to pop," she said.
Allergies are usually passed from generation to generation, and King said it appears to be more along the maternal line. She said allergies can kick in at any age - as early as two months old - though she heard of a man showing his first allergy symptoms in his 80s. King said it is still unknown just what triggers the onset of allergies at a given age.
King had a few tips to ward off the annoyance of runny noses and itchy eyes: Make sure to keep your clothes and bed sheets clean, and don't hang them outside if you have allergies. She said showering and cleaning your hair also helps. Over-the-counter drugs like Claritin and Benedryl can aid you before allergy symptoms arrive, but she said the best way to clear out your sinuses is to invest in saline flushers like Neti Pots.
"If you don't like the sensation of pouring something down your nose you can get the squirt bottles," she said.
King said windy warm days are the worst for stirring up pollen, and rainy days tend to ease the problem spores of cottonwood, maple and oak.
According to a local pollen alert on Weather.com, tree pollen numbers have been steadily growing all week in Monroe, with high alerts slated for Friday and Sunday and a very high alert for Saturday.