Iowa agriculture a factor in bad allergy season
DES MOINES – Fall seasonal allergies are causing more and more Iowans to seek out relief at their doctor’s office.
A high pollen count in the air is to blame for seasonal allergies and according to pollen.com 22 of the past 30 days have had a high pollen count in Des Moines.
Dr. Arun Gupta, a doctor at Iowa ENT Center, said that he has seen more patients coming in for allergy treatment in the past few weeks.
Temporary beer garden on tap at Water Works Park“We see allergy patients year round but spring and fall is definitely the worst time,” Dr. Gupta said. “Here with the harvest coming is a bad year. It was kind of dry earlier but now with the rain, there are allergies going around.”
Part of the reason so many Iowans struggle with allergies is all of the agriculture that goes on in the state.
“It definitely varies state by state,” Dr. Gupta said. “I was originally in Michigan and Iowa is a lot more farming and agricultural state so you do see more allergies in the state of Iowa and so I probably see more awareness of allergies in the state of Iowa.”
When it comes to treating allergies doctors recommend over-the-counter medicine. However, there comes a point when it’s time to go to the doctor’s office for relief.
“So there’s good over-the-counter treatments such as steroid nasal sprays and antihistamines like your Claritin’s, Allegras, and Zyrtecs and the generic forms of those,” Dr. Gupta said, “If those don’t really work you know it’s probably wise to see a physician to make sure there’s not something more going on.”
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