By CARMEN LINDSEY

carmen.lindsey@gaflnews.com

CORDELE — Welcome, fellow sneezers, to spring—one of the most beautiful times of the year. For allergy sufferers, it can also be miserable and frustrating. But you already knew that.

Pollen. It’s on your car and in your nose. And it isn’t over yet. Trees are just starting to project yellow dust into the air. For Crisp County, oak, cedar, juniper and birch trees are the culprits right now. Next, it will be green grasses in April, and then weeds. A late blooming tree that causes problems in this area are pecans. Pine and silver maple trees are others.

Common signs of seasonal allergies are a stuffy or runny nose and itchy or watery eyes.

So what can allergy sufferers do besides crawling in bed and laying there in misery?

“If you are a person with seasonal allergies and you have problems with a particular outdoor tree pollen, you might want to avoid exposing yourself to that allergy trigger during the height of the pollen season,” says Sandra McKinney, Crisp County Extension coordinator. “As long as things are blooming and pollens are out there, it can cause problems.

“Only a minority of people are affected, but it’s a significant enough number that we need to be aware of it. Outdoor conditions can also affect indoor air quality. People who are susceptible to allergies should be aware of their indoor air quality. Many of those triggers are indoors,” she explains.

Seasonal allergy symptoms are caused by an allergic response to mold, pollen, or any tiny microscopic substances.

• Ragweed. Found along roadsides and in vacant lots, fields, and other sunny spots, this common weed with finely divided leaves and tiny, greenish-white, down-turned blossoms is one of the leading causes of allergy symptoms.

•Mold. Indoor and outdoor mold counts peak in the humid months of late summer and early autumn and are especially problematic for people with asthma and allergies. Outdoor molds are found in falling leaves, soil, vegetation, and rotting wood. Indoor molds flourish in damp household areas such as basements, shower stalls, and near washing machines and dryers.

•Dust mites. Although present year round, dust mites thrive in humidity and can cause problems when they're stirred up by dirty ventilation systems.

“This time of the year is a good time for spring cleaning,” says McKinney. “We can’t do much about outdoor allergies, but we can work on the inside by conducting a thorough cleaning.”

She also suggests avoiding heavy upholstery or carpeted rooms in bedrooms which collect dander.