Local allergy doctor says this allergy season is on pace to be even worse than last year

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s that time of the year again.

Allergy season.

But how bad will allergies trigger you this spring?

According to Dr. Phillip Hooker, of Dermatology and Allergy Clinic in West Point, with the amount of rain we’ve had so far this year, mixed with sunshine, this allergy season is on pace to become worse than it was last year.

Dr. Hooker said over the counter medications can help fight off symptoms.

“Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec, and a lot of time it is good to take those a few hours before you go to bed because they tend to make you sleepy,” said Dr. Hooker.

But what if those medications don’t work?

“Sometimes you have patients who have a lot of trouble. We will go ahead and allergy test them and see what they are allergic to,” said Dr. Hooker. “And then if they are real severe on allergy testing we will start them on actually allergy shots where they will come in and get them weekly.”

Jaylan Barry said he suffers from allergies and they can become annoying.

“Man. Well actually, to be honest, I’m a musician, so I do a lot of singing, and playing and it really is draining in my ears and stuff like that,” said Barry. “Now if it’s severe I really feel like you should use or take all necessary precautions that you need to do.”

So if you’re wondering if you’re suffering from allergies, Dr. Hooker said there are different symptoms to look for.

“You usually have itching,” he said. “That’s a real cardinal sign of allergy. And you’ll be itching in the corners of the eyes itching up in the nose the back of the mouth and that is real typical. We always think of allergy when we hear patients mention itching anywhere. And the other thing is the nose really pours like a water faucet and the eyes do.”

Dr. Hooker also advised to keep your windows shut as much as you can to avoid coming in contact with pollen.