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West Des Moines doctor warns harvest season worsens allergies
KCCI • • health
Key Points:
- Harvest season can increase allergy symptoms due to exposure to mold, dust mites, and animal allergens, even though most pollen is gone for the season.
- Dr. Ravinder Agarwal advises that allergy medications, such as over-the-counter pills and nasal sprays, are most effective when taken before exposure rather than after symptoms start.
- Many people misuse nasal sprays by using them only briefly, which may not provide the expected relief, according to Agarwal.
- Allergy symptoms like sneezing, congestion, and sinus pressure can overlap with those of viruses or infections, so multiple conditions might be causing the symptoms.
- Patients are encouraged to consider symptom onset and response to treatment rather than automatically attributing symptoms to allergies.
