Tips for managing your allergies during the superbloom this spring
First came the rain, then came the beautiful wildflowers all over Southern California hillsides.
"It was so gorgeous, but I went out of my car for a little bit and went back to my car," said Maria Torres.
Last week, Torres and her husband made the long drive from Orange County to Perris to see the poppy bloom. However, she was only able to enjoy it for five minutes.
"I get the runny nose all day, and then it goes into my chest and then I start wheezing and it's really bad," said Torres.
She's one of the millions of Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies because of the abundance of pollen floating in the air.
"If you look at trends over time, probably related to our climate change," said Dr. Warren Carr, owner of the Allergy and Asthma Associates of Southern California. "But this year is a stand-out year. A few years back, there was a superbloom. And you can see the flowers from space. We're going to be in for that this year, if not worse, so be ready."
According to the website Pollen, all of Southern California is under medium-high or high pollen counts currently. Carr, an allergy specialist, said that is bringing in more patients than ever before.
Similar to people with food allergies, Carr recommended people avoid their triggers by staying inside. However, if you do encounter it, immediately clear it out of your system.
"Take a shower," said Carr. "Wash all of that pollen out of your hair. Before you go to bed, you don't want to sleep with what you're allergic to. Rinse off, maybe change your clothes."
If that doesn't work, try either over-the-counter or prescription medicines. Carr said the final resort is immunotherapy, customized allergy shots, drops or tablets that help your body slowly develop immunity to allergens.
"It takes time for immunotherapy to start working, so there's no time like the present to find out what you're allergic to and prepare for the season," said Carr. "Don't let allergies control you. Control them so you can do what you want to do in your life."
