For Magic Valley Allergy Sufferers, Here’s What Spring Will Bring
With the start of spring March 20, those in southern Idaho who are susceptible to allergies need to start preparing for one of the worst seasonal types of them all, that being tree pollen.
It appears we were gifted somewhat of an early spring arrival in the Magic Valley, as temperatures have been averaging the upper-fifties this week. We have also been blessed with a couple of days recently where we exceeded sixty degrees, something that isn't usually common for the month of March.
I don't normally get allergies. My wife is an entirely different story. April usually triggers headaches and severe sinus issues for her. To prepare, she regularly seeks out immunotherapy from her physician prior to the start of spring, which is in the form of an annual shot.
The kind folks at everydayhealth.com created a handy, month-to-month guide on which allergies tend to be more prevalent at specific times of year. Grass and tree pollen are the big culprits in the months of April and May. We tend to keep our windows closed when doing landscaping projects at this time of year. The heavy winds that we are accustomed to in southern Idaho also make people's allergies worse, as they tend to blow allergens into our homes where they are not easily detected.
The fact that many of us have been running heaters in our homes for months leading up to the start of spring can also be a hinderance. We also vacuum our home at least once a week when spring begins too, as it helps keep dust at bay, which is also a trigger for some people.