You may be experiencing some fall allergies right now. Some of us are here in the newsroom. I reached out to the El Paso County Health Department to see if there is any word on how much longer this should last. They say many people’s allergies right now are because of ragweed. I’m told it will continue to bother many people until we see the first freeze- possibly next week.
As far as symptoms go, it’s just what you would expect from a seasonal allergy- feeling plugged up, itchy eyes, runny nose, and scratchy throat.
Dr Paul Mayer with the El Paso County Health Department tells me you can soften the blow with over-the-counter medications. Some of those are nasal sprays and antihistamines- there are several non-drowsy options as well. Mayer says you should be able to get just what you need without a prescription.
Some though still might need to see a doctor if symptoms continue. Mayer suggests ” Put a HEPA filter in your furnace or your air conditioner – you can actually filter some of those allergens out of the air. Also, you could get a HEPA filter for your vacuum cleaner . That will decrease the amount of allergy in contact with.”