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Still sneezing? Here's why your allergies may linger on into the summer

Allergies are a hot topic every spring. But, a Mid-South allergist says allergies are a year-round struggle for some people.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — We are finally in the month of May which means that tree pollen counts are declining. You may be washing your car less and you might even be sneezing less. But, don’t let your guard down because allergy season never ends for some people.

Molly Moss has suffered from allergies from years. Her allergy symptoms consist of itchy eyes, scratchy throat, drainage, coughing and more recently, allergy induced asthma.

Those are just some of the symptoms that Moss and thousands of other Memphians deal with all year long.

Most people are under the impression that allergy season starts and stops when the visible pollen is covering everything that we can see. Unfortunately for some, allergy season never ends.

Dr. Zelig, an allergist at McCulley Allergy, in Arlington, said, “Often times, the end of spring is not the end of allergy season, especially for the patients that I take care of.”

McCulley Allergy Centers are proud to welcome Dr. Ari Zelig. Dr. Zelig is a native of Memphis, Tennessee and received...

Posted by McCulley Allergy, Sinus, & Asthma Centers on Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Tree pollen is the yellow culprit that we see during the spring. During the summer, other vegetation picks up the slack.

Dr. Zelig said, “The grasses then pick up and start pollenating in the summer once the trees stop pollenating and then wheat pollen is present in the fall. So, many patients can have symptoms just in the spring. As others, can have symptoms in the spring, summer and fall.”

Dr. Zelig suggested if you are a year-round allergy sufferer, you probably need something stronger than over-the-counter medication.

“I would recommend that you consult with your allergist and figure out what your allergies are. We tend to use patient’s history and allergy testing in order to determine what things you are actually allergic to in the environment and take some environmental precautions to reduce the exposure,” added Dr. Zelig.

Allergy tests are how Moss found out that she was allergic to many different things, including her dog.

She said she has finally found relief with her allergy shots.

“It’s pretty year-round for me especially with the dog. But, when my medications are in control, my treatments for whatever that is, that kind of reliefs for sure," said Moss. "Just understanding that your symptoms doesn’t have to be the status quo. If things get worse, then go see your doctor. You might be able to change things up a little bit or do something different to make sure that you are getting the best help that you need.”

If over-the-counter is the best solution for you, Dr. Zelig recommends Allegra as one of the best non-drowsy options on the market.

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