ATLANTA — High pollen counts this week may have left you feeling itchy and sneezy as the amount of pollen broke records.
On Wednesday, Channel 2′s Linda Stouffer asked a doctor what else you can do to cut down on the sniffles, and what really works to help you feel better.
“The allergies are definitely happening, when it gets on my skin it makes me itch,” allergy sufferer Clara Adams said.
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Walkers at Chastain Park can see, and feel, the Georgia Spring.
Adams said she gets congested, watery eyes and really drowsy, so she attacks her symptoms.
“Claritin, lots of sleep, vitamin C, rest, all that kind of stuff,” Adams said.
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Dr. Sylvia Morris, at Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, told Channel 2 Action News that there are multiple ways to fight off allergy symptoms.
“When we talk about natural remedies for allergy season for the eyes, there are saline drops and for the nose there is saline spray,” Morris said.
She said saline sprays or a rinse can wash away pollen and reduce irritation.
“Nasal irrigation is perfectly fine, a lot of relief,” Morris explained. “Make sure you use distilled water, you don’t want to use tap water straight out of your faucet.”
For over-the-counter antihistamines, Morris said to look for labels that say “non-drowsy.”
“A medication that isn’t going to make you sleepy- that is going to help dry up all those nasal secretions,” Morris said.
She also said it was important to stick to the package directions and not to double your dose.
“We don’t want to double up on medication because there could be side effects,” she said.
According to Atlanta Allergy and Asthma, which tracks the Atlanta pollen count, levels of pollen are lowest between 4 a.m. and noon, so if you’re going to go outside, plan to go out early, unless you’re not bothered by pollen.
For those affected strongly by allergies, doctors recommend getting tested to isolate what bothers you so they can offer custom immunotherapy treatments.
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