The first thing to understand about spring allergies is what causes them. There are two causes of spring allergies:

1) Pollen - bulbs and small flowering plants are some of the first bloomers and they have lots of pollen to release. Many people have a reaction to this pollen.

2) Mold - ice and snow are melting and temperatures are starting to climb. These are perfect conditions for mold to grow and start releasing spores.

Because both of these items are "carried on the wind" some days will be worse than others. If possible, on days with high pollen and mold counts, stay inside and use a filtration system to remove the pollen and mold from the air. You can often get information on the pollen count from your local weather report or you can sign up with the National Allergy Bureau to receive email alerts. http://www.aaaai.org/nab/index.cfm

When you have to go out into open air there are some things you can do to reduce and/or eliminate your allergic reactions:

1) If you know exactly what is causing your reaction you can see about getting allergy shots. However, you MUST know the allergen and they can take up to a year to work.

2) Prescription antihistamines - some of these do cause drowsiness as a side-effect. The non-drowsy varieties must be take for several days to be 100% effective and you can not start and stop them as needed. Expect to take them daily until the allergy season is over.

3) Over-The-Counter antihistamines - these work exactly the same as the prescription antihistamines but they are milder. If your symptoms are severe they may not be effective enough but they cost less and will take care of mild allergy symptoms.

4) Acupuncture, part of traditional Chinese medicine, has shown promise in allergy studies. In acupuncture, very fine needles are inserted into specific points on the body to re-balance what practitioners call chi, or vital energy. This can provide relief for many allergy sufferers IF you can find a licensed medical acupuncturist in your area.

5) Butterbur - a study showed that an extract called butterbur Ze330 worked as well as a prescription antihistamine. It also did not cause sleepiness, which may make it a better option than some over-the-counter allergy remedies. The only drawback is if you are allergic to ragweed you will be allergic to butterbur and your symptoms will get worse not better.

6) Researchers have also looked at vitamins A, C, and E - these strengthen the immune system and work for some people not all. They have to be taken daily starting just before spring allergy season starts and until it ends.

7) Quercetin - a study showed that quercetin stopped histamine production (histamines are what cause your allergy symptoms). This can be found in most pharmacies and health food stores. No studies have been performed on it's long term effects, but it is generally believed to be safe.

There are also oater treatments out there for allergy relief - but most of the ones above have been tested, proven to work, and are readily available.

Learn more about this author, Ginger Kazay.
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