News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
This year’s allergy season has been one of the worst in recent years according to Upper Cumberland allergist Dr. Erin Rohman.
Dr. Rohman has worked as an allergy specialist in the Upper Cumberland for the past 10 years, but said that over that past year she has seen an increase in people seeking help for allergies. However, she doesn’t have a concrete reason as to why the severity was bad this year.
“It’s what happens before the onset of pollen season with the weather and how that affects plants and the pollination of those plants. I don’t know that we can say from year to year what makes it a good or bad a pollen season, but we certainly had a set up for a very high pollen season this year,” said Rohman.
Many people have said that wearing masks during the pandemic this pollen season has helped ease their symptoms. Rohman said while this may be the case for some, the pandemic may have exacerbated symptoms in other ways.
“I think in some ways it’s probably helped, but if you look at another aspect of what COVID and the masks have done, is its driven a lot of us to more outdoor activities because we’re wanting to social distance and we’re wanting to avoid small crowds and closed-in spaces. The flip side of that is that we’re spending a lot more time outdoors, which is obviously where the pollen is,” said Rohman.
Rohman recommends getting allergy tested and to check pollen counts before going outside. As the seasons change, so do the types of outdoor allergies present. Rohman said knowing what kinds of pollen you’re allergic to help you know how to treat and to alleviate your symptoms.
To treat symptoms, there are a variety of options. You can try over the counter medicines, home remedies, allergy shots, or prescription drugs, but Rohman said to simply pick the treatment that works best for you.
