Allergy Season

Sean Mitton, Canadian Expat Network

Growing up in Georgetown, Ontario I was fortunate to never having experienced allergies. When I moved down South 8 years ago that all changed. It feels like each year they are worse with sneezing, itchy eyes, running nose, you know the sypmtons. Experts tend to agree.

According to Bernard Figenbaum, an allergist at NYU Medical Center "this year seems worse than usual. Allergy counts are 20 to 25 percent higher than they usually are."

Suggestions to get through allergy season include take an allergy medication such as an antihistamine or nasal spray,beware of certain foods that may aggravate symptons such as apples, pears and almonds and wear sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes.

More than 20 percent of Americans suffer from allergies, and 14 million will visit a doctor's office this year and rack up $6 billion in treatment costs. Combined, an estimated 4 million sick days will be taken because of allergies.