What’s Going Around: Seasonal Allergies

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - It’s the time of year where no on has time to be sick but, inevitably, that cough or runny nose creeps in. This week we checked with Mercy to see what’s is bringing in the most patients.

“I would say probably the top illness that we’re seeing or top symptomatology is allergies,” said Cindy Griessel, a Physician’s Assistant at Mercy. “We’re hitting that seasonal change of going from summer to fall and hitting temperature changes. Ragweed is super high. and grass pollen is super high so you’re seeing a lot of patients with the itchy eyes, the runny nose, that congestion.”

Griessel said a lot of patients confuse their allergy symptoms for something else.

“If you’re dealing with mainly with just allergies, you’re usually seeing the itchy eyes, the clear runny nose, sneezing, usually,” said Griessel. With just an allergy, you’re not having the body aches, you’re not having the fatigue, you’re not having the malaise, the low grade fever and all that.”

Griessel also said, allergy sufferers need to settle in for the long haul.

“I say this to my patients all the time, we live in Springfield, Missouri, and we have allergies from January 1st to December 31st,” said Griessel. “I I tell my patients, if you struggle with allergies, and you know you struggle with allergies, stay on your allergy medicine, there’s nothing that says you have to come off of it in two or three months, if it’s working for you, and it’s preventing you from having more severe symptoms stay on it. What I tell my patients is, is at that point that you’re on that regular regimen, whatever that may be and you’re still not having great relief, or you feel that your symptoms are more severe, that’s really at that point where I welcome my patients to come in and see me because I know they’ve done what they can do. "

Griessel shared these tips to stay healthy through allergy season and the rest of the year.

“I think it’s important, first of all, that we continue the good hygiene, obviously washing your hands, staying home, if you’re sick,” said Griessel. “If you’re not feeling well, if you’re running a fever, certainly isolating yourself from others is an important component. I think it’s important that patients are getting enough sleep, and drinking enough water.”

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