Pollen Season is in full force and experts suggest that even though the allergy season could be worse than previous years, the season is anticipated to be a little shorter than normal.

Trees like the classic oak, birch and maple that are responsible for many spring allergy symptoms will pollinate later than normal this year. This late pollination will discontinue allergies by a few days or a week.

Pollen makes the body release histamines, chemicals that cause the linings of the nose, sinuses, eyelids and eyes to inflame.

The most common signs of seasonal allergies are stuffiness, sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy and watery eyes. However there are also some subtle signs such as poor quality of sleep, inability to concentrate on what you are doing, irritability and fatigue.

The most important thing when it comes to treating allergies is to find out what exactly is the patient allergic to. There are a lot of people who do not know for sure what they are allergic to. A specific diagnostic can be obtained through a scratch test in only 20 minutes: different allergens are placed on the patient’s skin and this answers the question.

Many people confuse some of the yellow or green pine pollen that accumulates on their cars in the spring to be the cause of their problems but those pollen grains are very large and heavy and serve only as mild irritants as they are trapped in the nose. The smaller microscopic pollen grains easily get into the nasal passages and sinuses and even into our lungs to trigger asthma in allergic individuals.

The problem particles cause about 60 million Americans to suffer from allergies. While there is no cure for allergies, people who have mild symptoms are usually helped by oral antihistamines, available both over-the-counter or by prescription.

Experts believe that employing preventive measures before the onset of spring allergies is even better than actually treating the allergies. Allergy sufferers should start taking their allergy medication a few days before the onset of the allergy season.

Follow these seasonal allergy tips to survive the pollen season:

During peak pollen periods, stay inside if you can. Use air conditioning as a weapon – it can help filter out allergy busting pollens.

Wear oversized sunglasses to block airborne seasonal pollens and molds from entering your eyes and lids that cause uncomfortable redness, itchiness, watery eyes, and puffiness, too.

Wear a hat. Preferably a wide-brimmed one. This will block out pollen, and for extra safety, skip the hair gel and spray. These act like a “pollen magnet,” especially when planning extended periods of time outdoors on high-pollen days.

Stay clean. By showering nightly, you’ll rinse pollen from your hair and skin to get a good night’s sleep. Also, change your clothing before entering the bedroom to reduce pollen transfer into your personal “breathable” space.

Avoid going outside on windy, dry, and sunshiny days. Pollen counts are highest on days when it's dry, sunny, and blustery, and lowest during and just after a big storm. Levels are also generally higher in the morning than in the afternoon.