Seasonal allergies are nothing to sniff at — they can cause sneezing, itchy eyes, a runny nose and a cough that can last for weeks or even months.

In NYC, spring kicks off tree pollen season, followed by grass pollen in the summer and weed pollen in the late summer and fall. Crosswinds carrying pollen from other regions, combined with warmer temperatures, are making symptoms more unpredictable.

When you breathe in pollen, your immune system releases histamine and other inflammatory mediators, triggering common allergy symptoms. Unlike a cold, which typically clears up in a couple of weeks, allergies can last much longer, often starting with a runny nose and progressing to nasal congestion, sinusitis, fatigue and headaches. 

The good news? You don’t have to live in a bubble to manage allergies.

As an allergy sufferer myself, my top advice is to start medications early and use them regularly throughout the season. Here’s what’s inside my seasonal allergy tool kit.

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