This spring allergy season seems to be worse compared to previous years. NBC6’s Marissa Bagg reports
Sydney Gilden is now part of a club of springtime sufferers. At seven years old, she’s newly diagnosed with seasonal allergies.
“It was a little tough, the coughing after a while it got better and then got bad again,” Sydney said from her home in Davie.
Bouts of strep throat, bronchitis and a cough that wouldn’t quit prompted her mother to get her tested for allergies.
“The wheezing outside was persistent whenever she was playing softball,” explained Susie Gilden. “She wasn’t bothered by it in the Fall, but starting at about January or February and well into March, it seemed to be worse and worse.”
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Doctors from Miramar to Pinecrest say pollen from oak, elm, pine and palm trees are to blame. They attest this allergy season is more intense because it started early.
“Usually tree pollen season runs from March to May and this year we saw it earlier, like in February,” said Dr. Hanadys Ale, a Pediatric Immunologist & Allergist at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. Dr. Ale spoke from Memorial Hospital Miramar, which also offers children’s health services.
“They’re uncomfortable with watery eyes, itchy nose, sneezing, coughing, Symptoms like that sometimes gets confused with upper respiratory infections and it’s actually an allergy,” said Dr. Ale.
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“It becomes a little trickier to treat bc you want to hit the acute viral process but also treat the underlying allergy that is probably making symptoms worse,” said Dr. Danielle Squires of Kings Bay Pediatrics in Pinecrest.
Sydney knows what they’re talking about. She showed her new regiment of medicines that keep her allergies at bay. It includes an inhaler and a nose spray.
“Thank goodness that’s all it is, environmental allergies,” said Susie Gilden. “I was worried she could have pneumonia and have to go to the emergency room.”
Experts say you can reduce your exposure to allergens by keeping your windows closed at home, use an air purifier and change your clothes if you’ve been outdoors. You can also keep tabs on the pollen counts in South Florida here: https://www.pollen.com/map/fl
