WATCH: The early start to the allergy season doesn’t necessarily mean an early end. Kylie Stanton reports
This spring is being called one of the worst ever for allergy sufferers.
It turns out the recent spell of the hot and dry weather in B.C. has a downside, with trees, weeds, and grass all releasing pollen at the same time. And things may get worse before they get better.
“We tend to get quite high levels of them and they do tend to cause a lot of severe symptoms for patients,” said Dr. Amin Kanani. “Currently we’re going through the grass pollen season and it’s actually going to get worse through the month of June.”
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The treatment options are endless, but immunity can develop over time, meaning that what worked last year may not do the trick this time around.
“You start with one that works first historically, and then if doesn’t work, then you move onto the next one,” said pharmacist John Foster-Coull. “And, of course, if that fails you, then you move onto your family doctor and they can prescribe something for you.”
“We recommend that they use a prescription nasal spray or they can go on immunotherapy, which is where we expose them to a small amount of what they’re allergic to and develop a natural immunity to it,” said Kanani.
-with files from Kylie Stanton
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