What I Don’t Like About Spring: Allergies

Be glad you don’t live in Knoxville, Tennessee. (If you do, I’m sorry.)

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, for the second consecutive year Knoxville is number one on the list of the top 100 worst cities for springtime allergies. Warm temperatures and early plant flowerings are the cause. The pines, maples and other trees common in this area are also to blame.

Indianapolis ranks 43 on the list of allergy prone cities. And I’m feeling it today as I reach for a tissue and couch drop.

According to the Medical Clinics of America, about 30 percent to 50 percent of U.S. residents have allergy symptoms. And about 75 percent of those symptoms affect the eyes.

Common signs of allergies include swollen or itchy eyes, running nose, sneezing or coughing and headache from sinus congestion.

Take this quiz from All About Vision to see if you might have eye allergies.

• Do allergies run in your family?
• Do your eyes often itch, particularly during spring pollen season?
• Have you ever been diagnosed with “pink eye” (conjunctivitis)?
• Are you allergic to certain animals, such as cats?
• Do you often need antihistamines and/or decongestants to control sneezing, coughing and congestion?
• When pollen is in the air, are your eyes less red and itchy when you stay indoors under an air conditioner?
• Do your eyes begin tearing when you wear certain cosmetics or lotions, or when you’re around certain strong perfumes?

If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, then you may have eye allergies. Make an appointment with Dr. Tavel and his board certified associates to find the solution to your allergies!