Got allergies? Why experts say symptoms may be more severe

GREEN BAY (WLUK) --Lina Charles of Door County suffers from seasonal allergies.

"Sneezing, coughing, runny nose, congestion, ever since the trees popped," said Charles.

She says spring's late start has caused her symptoms to flare up fast, "It came on like a ton of bricks, it hit me pretty hard, pretty fast."

"Suddenly, they feel like they have a cold, is it a cold or is it allergies?" said Dr. Alan James of Bellin Health Asthma and Allergy. "Well, if lasts more than 7-days it's not a cold."

He says the change in season, from just a few weeks ago, has caused pollen to move into the air quickly, "If you're not having symptoms at all and then all of the sudden the pollen is in the air, your system is already primed and ready,"

• For more information on the allergy risks in Northeast Wisconsinclick here.

As a result, he says they've seen an uptick in patients who are experiencing severe allergy symptoms.

"Itchy, watery eyes, some swelling under the eyes, dark circles everyone hates," James explained.

He says the rain will help clear-out the pollen, but says it will follow with another trigger for those fighting allergies.

"When it dries out the mold count goes back up" said James. "Pollen appears in the air again; everyone starts having their symptoms again."

But he says there are plenty of remedies to fight off spring's bloom.

"You can stay inside, the avoidance of pollen and mold spores," James continued. "You can use over the counter anesthetics, Zyrtec-D,Claritin,Allegra."

And Charles, says her medicine cabinet is fully stocked.

"Every spring, and every fall," she told FOX 11.