Most of us look forward to spring’s arrival: new blooms, new
colors and warmer temperatures allowing more outdoor activity.
But for the estimated 20 percent of Americans with seasonal
allergies, spring can be a time of itchy, watery eyes, sneezing
and other miseries of the season. Commonly called “hay fever,”
these reactions are referred to by doctors as “seasonal allergic
rhinitis,” where rhinitis means inflammation of the lining of
the nose. People can be allergic to all sorts of things, but
plant pollens are among the most irritating, and spring is their
heyday. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology,
the official group of doctors specializing in allergy,
recommends that you see an allergist if you have prolonged or
severe symptoms of rhinitis, associated asthma or recurrent
sinus infections; if your quality of life is adversely affected;
or if the medications you take seem not to be working. But they
also recommend 10 tips for avoiding allergy symptoms: