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Sneezing? Runny nose? Spring allergies are finally here

Plants are sprouting back to life across East Tennessee because of those warm temperatures. That means pollen makes its return in the air causing allergies for many people.

It's finally spring again! Warm temperatures means plants are sprouting back to life all across East Tennessee.

Not such good news for those who usually get a stuffy nose this time of year. Grass and tree pollen make their harsh return this season.

"We're not even to the point where we're writing our names on our car yet," Dr. Bob Overholt of the Allergy, Asthma and Sinus Center said. "That's here in probably another two weeks when there will be tree pollen and grass pollen that's causing the problem."

Overholt says many patients this past weekend have been dealing with those pesky allergies. Unfortunately, spring allergies are not anything that can be avoided.

"It's almost everywhere you go. You cannot avoid it if you go outside. When people are allergic, they breathe in the pollen," Overholt said. "They get a stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, itchy nose and a lot of people get a cough... It's made worse when they exercise."

Overholt suggests for those dealing with spring allergies to visit an allergist and get an allergy test to find which kind of pollen folks are allergic to. This could help people in limiting allergies, finding the right kind of medication, and eventually prevent allergy problems in the future.

If you're already dealing with an itchy, runny nose and lots of sneezing, Overholt says it's only going to get worse.

"It's early April. By mid-April, it'll be worse and into May. We've really got another five or six weeks to really battle the pollen that's causing all the problems," Overholt said.

He also mentions one of the biggest allergy-producing pollens is from the oak tree. That's one of the larger culprits of allergies in the southeastern United States.

The Medline Plus website from the U.S. National Library of Medicine has more information on how you can get tested for allergies for future allergy prevention.

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