WLWT: Tips to fight off bad allergy symptoms

The University of Cincinnati's Ahmad Sedaghat spoke with WLWT about how Cincinnati's geography tends to make allergy symptoms worse and tips to fight off those symptoms.

"Constantly getting pollen released into the air because our warmer seasons are longer" contributes to worse allergy symptoms in Cincinnati, said Sedaghat, MD, PhD, director of the Division of Rhinology, Allergy and Anterior Skull Base Surgery Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery at the UC College of Medicine. "The second thing is we also have a more humid climate because we're in the Ohio River Valley. So that also not only promotes growth of plants, but also promotes the presence of molds."

While Cincinnati allergy season seems to get worse each year, Sedaghat said there are ways to protect yourself.

"Typically [I] tell people to start with antihistamine and the nasal steroid," Sedaghat said. "Beyond that I say, typically, talk to your physician if you're still struggling beyond that. But in the end, sometimes we do refer to an allergist and say, 'Well, maybe its time to do an allergy shot.'"

Sedaghat added it is key to begin taking medicine before starting to have symptoms. And when coming in from outside, wash your hands or shower to get the pollen off of you to avoid tracking it around your home.

Read the WLWT story.

Featured photo at top of woman sneezing/Corina/Pixabay.