VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — For those of us here in Hampton Roads and North Carolina, fall doesn’t always mean allergies are over.
According to retired Allergist-Immunologist Dr. Robert Radin, any time of the year can be allergy season.
"It really depends on where you live," he said.
If you feel like you’ve been sneezing a lot more recently, Dr. Radin said the recent rainy weather might have something to do with it.
“The forecast over the next few days is for an increase in pollen counts, probably from all the rain we had last week,” he said. “We also have mold.”
He explained, the dampness can exacerbate mold and pollen.
“Not everyone is sensitive to mold, but it [rain] promotes growth of all the things that produce pollen," he said. "It promotes growth of ragweed, it promotes the growth of grass, and that continues the pollen production.”
Tree pollen and ragweed are two common offenders.
“Since we’re in the south, Bermuda grass pollinates this time of year as well,” Radin added.
A late frost can make all of this worse, and a good frost can be hard to predict.
“The pollen counts will decrease towards the end of September and through October but won’t go away until there’s a good frost,” Dr. Radin said. “You never know when we get a frost here.”
He said spring is typically the worst time of the year for allergies in Hampton Roads and North Carolina, but fall allergies are still a nuisance.
He said those with allergies should try staying indoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., or take over-the-counter medication.
But there are two main reasons why you should consider seeking help from a specialist:
“One if nothing is working, two if you have asthma along with your nasal allergies, your hayfever," Dr. Radin said. "Asthma changes the whole playing field.”
But there is a new medication on the rise to combat allergies.
“It’s a tablet you take every day, you put it under your tongue. It’s called sublingual immunotherapy,” he said. “It does almost what allergy shots do. It’s available for ragweed, grass, and dust mites. But you can’t combine them all, you have to pick one. You pick your worst season.”