Mild winter leading to early onset of allergies
EDINA, Minn. — If you've been sneezing more lately, you're not the only one.
At Centennial Lakes Park in Edina, some trees are starting to bud.
"I've lived here all my life, and we've never had a season like this," Bloomington resident Judy Weinberger said.
But the unseasonably warm air is causing allergies to flare up earlier than normal. Shakopee resident Jeff Simpson said his kicked in around Christmas.
"I thought I had a cold that lasted over a month but came to find out it's just allergies," Simpson said.
He's far from alone.
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"This early warm weather makes my postnasal drip worse and my nose run," Bloomington resident Rick Weinberger said.
Allina Health Allergist Dr. Pramod Kelkar says he's seeing more patients with allergy symptoms recently.
"This year is definitely very unusual. I wouldn't be surprised if we get spring early, and we start seeing severe allergies right in the beginning of spring," Kelkar said.
Kelkar said symptoms could be from allergies, but also from viruses too, being that we're still in the cold and flu season. He said the biggest distinction is fever, which is not related to allergies.
"There are many, many treatment options nowadays at our disposal. You can treat your allergies perfectly well and can enjoy the outdoors as much as you can even if you have allergies," he said.
Doctors recommend using over-the-counter antihistamines or a neti pot after time outside.