Weather wreaks havoc on allergies

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - Winter weather is causing more allergy sufferers to show up at doctor's offices for help.

Local doctors report an increase in patients with upper respiratory issues. 

"Sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion. Those are my symptoms," one patient named Heather said. She came to her doctor Thursday for allergy shots.

"When I get my shots I don't really have symptoms as long as I do a nasal spray and then the shots. I don't have the symptoms. If I wasn't doing the shots, I would be miserable. I would have the symptoms everyday. I would have to take medicine everyday," Heather explained.

Allergist Dr. John Sweeney said, "I have, in the last two to three weeks, started seeing many more people with sinus symptoms and cough." 

Sweeney thinks the weather may be partly to blame.

At Patient First, an urgent care provider in Virginia Beach, Dr. Craig Froede offers this advice, "You've got to wash your hands. The anti-bacterial soups on desks now and everybody knows to wash their hands a lot. It's a good idea to wipe down your keyboards and wipe down, if there's a community telephone for the office, wipe that down." 

Froede said it's also a good idea to take a multi-vitamin each day. He added trying not to touch your face to his list of recommendations, as you could infect your eyes, nose and mouth just by doing that.