Allergies are normally seasonal, occurring in the spring and fall, but can last longer if allergens are still present. Mold, as well as pollen from trees, grass and ragweed, are the airborne irritants that typically trigger seasonal allergies, referred to as “hay fever.” When a person breathes in an allergen, or a foreign particle, from the air,  his or her immune system may overreact. In attempt to fight off the allergen, the immune system releases histamine, a chemical that produces allergic symptoms.

According to a poll of 105 STA students, 53% of students said they suffered from seasonal allergies. Of this 53%, 46% categorized their allergies as mild, 27% as bad, and 27% as very bad. 70% of these students said that they noticed that their allergies started earlier this year. According to emedicinehealth.com, about 10-20% of the US population suffers from some type of hay fever.

McCausland is a part of this affected percentage. She suffers from both allergy and exercise induced asthma – when allergen counts are high, her exercise- induced asthma becomes worse. This problem became apparent McCausland’s freshman year when she joined the cross country team.

“[My allergies] were always bad and I just took generic medicine,” McCausland said. “But, once they started affecting my breathing, [the doctors] took them more seriously and I had to get more [medication] so I could breathe while I ran.”

McCausland became worried when she noticed her spring allergies starting earlier than usual this year and her symptoms worsening. She visited the doctor and was prescribed three additional medications to help combat this predicted intense allergy season.

“I am worried about track,” McCausland said. “That’s why I have gone to the doctor early and gotten medicine just in case, so I have something there if I have trouble breathing because [my allergies] really hurt my cross country races.”

The severity of this allergy season will depend on the dryness of the weather, according to news-medical.net. Dry, windy weather helps spread pollen. In contrast, rainy weather helps wash pollen out of the air. Allergy season normally ends in late October or early November, according to Neiburger. This year, he predicts that allergy season will end around Mid-November, depending on when a hard frost (meaning the temperature remains below 28 degrees for six hours or longer) hits.

Neiburger said he is advising his patients to start preventive treatments earlier this spring. He advised his patients to be taking all of their medication by March 1, which is two weeks earlier than he advised last year. Besides medication, Neiburger also recommends turning on air conditioning and closing windows to reduce exposure to pollen.

“I don’t think [allergy season] will get that much worse,” Elias said. “I will have to take my medicine, but I don’t think it will affect my everyday life too much.”