Do You Need to Keep the Tissues Close?

Winter thaw means it’s time to deal with another beast of weather’s burden: spring allergies. As the temperatures begin to rise and plants begin to blossom, they bring with them the all-too familiar sound of sneezes and sniffles.

Approximately 40 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies and see a surge of symptoms in spring. “Allergy and asthma patients already have a chronic sensitivity to things like pollen, mold and other airborne allergens, but they can also be more susceptible to rapid changes in temperature and moisture,” Dr. Clifford Bassett, an ambassador for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, said in a statement. “A blending of the winter and spring means these patients are at risk of multiple symptoms simultaneously.”

According to experts, this allergy season will be particularly harsh thanks to the brutal winter weather that preceded it. ”What we’re seeing is the snow cover is starting to melt in surrounding areas, and what that does, that puts mold spores into the air,” Dr. William Reisacher of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center told NY1. “And many people who are sensitive to mold, and even not sensitive to mold, react when mold spores are high.”