San Antonio – Itchy eyes, scratchy throats and congestion are just a few of the pesky Oak Tree pollen allergy symptoms many of us are dealing with heading into the spring season.
“We just passed the cedar season that had outrageously high pollen levels and now we are moving into spring with a Oak levels pretty high too,” University Health and UT Health San Antonio Allergy specialist, Dr. Jesus Guajardo said.
Oak trees are pollinating heavily throughout this month into early next month.
Guajardo says part of the reason why some people may be feeling allergy symptoms more severe than others could be related to climate change.
“You have hotter weather, you have more CO2 levels, therefore you have more plants producing more pollen. Then more plants and more CO2…that in itself is an issue,” he said.
If you are parents to young children, there is a general rule of thumb to keep in mind. The doctor says children younger than three years old do not typically experience allergic reactions to pollen. So, if your child is sick, it could be from something else.
“The most common reason [young children] are having persistent symptoms is because they have an infection, or they go to daycare and every week or two weeks they get exposed to yet a different virus or the parents smoke. Those two factors are very, very common,” Guajardo said.
He predicts the high oak pollen count could last for a couple of weeks.
If you’re struggling with symptoms, Guajardo recommends visiting your doctor to see if you qualify for a monthly allergy shot. However, he says if you cannot afford the shot, consider purchasing a year supply of allergy medication at any local warehouse club store for less than $60.