Blooming Leads to Looming Allergy Symptoms: your pharmacist is here to help

While springtime means flowers and blooming trees, it also means that allergy season is looming and that means that billions of tiny pollen will be triggering allergy symptoms in millions of people. And, let’s face it, these symptoms can make you irritable and affect your quality of life by disrupting your sleep and your ability to be productive at home and work.

Outdoor allergens such as tree, grass and weed pollen are some of the most common causes of seasonal allergies. Depending on where you live, there are generally three pollen seasons. The start and end dates of these seasons vary based on the climate.

  • Spring, which is when trees pollinate.
  • Summer, which is when grass releases its pollen.
  • Fall, which is when weeds, ragweed being the biggest offender, cause hay fever.

Symptoms of seasonal allergies often feel like the onset of a cold although they usually come on all at once instead of gradually and typically occur once you have been exposed to the allergen. These symptoms include:

  • Nasal congestion
  • Coughing
  • Itchy, watery eyes
  • Runny nose
  • Itchy throat
  • Irritability

For those suffering with asthma, allergy season is a prime time for asthma attacks, so it is especially important to keep the condition under control as much as possible. The symptoms of asthma, which include shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing and coughing, stem from inflammation of the airways which is often exacerbated by the same allergens that trigger seasonal allergies. In addition to pollen, however, there are many other factors that can inflame an asthma patient’s airways, including infections, air pollutants, weather changes and external allergens such as pet dander and dust mites.

Seasonal allergies may be a risk factor in the development of asthma. Effective treatment of seasonal allergies can not only help reduce asthma symptoms, but also possibly prevent the development of asthma. Express Scripts Canada research shows that the use of asthma inhalers continues to grow year-over-year, so it is important to minimize the effect of allergies and avoid the triggers as much as possible. For example, you could:

It is equally important to keep your asthma under control during allergy season.

Here are some tips:

  • Know the triggers. Knowing what your triggers are and trying to avoid them will help to reduce symptoms and risk of an asthma attack.
  • Take medication as directed. Set reminders so that you don’t forget to take your controller medication every day.

Staying adherent to your regime is extremely important. Using the Express Scripts Canada Pharmacy will ensure that you always have an adequate supply of your medication on hand. Allergies can be treated effectively using medications. There are many available without a prescription. You should talk to your doctor or pharmacist to determine which ones are best for you.