Blooming flowers signal tough times ahead for allergy sufferers

PHOENIX - People who have spent some time outside recently may have noticed that flowers are blooming, and things are very green. That is leading to a lot of problems for people with allergies.

Stuffy nose, sinus pressure, dizziness, and troubled breathing are some of the symptoms experienced by allergy sufferers. They say they have a routine in place for relief.

"We just go to Costco and get a bulk package of allergy pills, just in case, to reduce my asthma," said one person.

Allergists say the allergy season has arrived early, and won't be letting up until summer.

"The pollen counts have really increased a couple of weeks or so," said Dr. Duane Wong at Arizona Allergy Associates.

Dr. Wong says the season usually starts slowly, and patients will gradually come in. This year, it's different.

"It started with a bang," said Dr. Wong. "We went from zero to a ton of people all at once."

Dr. Wong says this winter has been mild, with very few overnight freezes. In addition, there's been a lot of rain, causing more plants to grow.

"This time of year, we start to see the Bermuda glass pollinate. [Bermudas] pollinate a lot in spring and fall, and we also see the trees. It could be olive, ash, mulberry," said Dr. Wong.

Dr. Wong says the pollen won't calm down until summer, when there are at least several days of 100 °F temperatures. He also says in Arizona, the pollen count is high at night. The count starts to increase at 5:00 p.m., and lasts until 10:00 a.m. the following morning. He recommends people keeping doors and windows shut during those times, and wash clothing and hair before bed to get rid of the accumulating pollen.