Texans suffering from allergies are looking for solutions

Austin, Texas – Texans suffering from allergy season are looking for solutions. Meg Bailey, an allergy sufferer, shared her symptoms.

“Sinus headache, runny nose, stuffy nose, itchy throat and cough,” she said.

Bailey just couldn’t stand it, so for the first time in her life she made an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor.

“I’m a single mother and I work full time, so I have to take time off just for allergies because I can’t concentrate because I have a headache. It’s really hard to do, ”Bailey said.

In this year’s Allergy Capitals report from the American Asthma and Allergy Foundation, McAllen is ranked third among the most challenging places to live with seasonal allergies, San Antonio is fifth, and Austin and Dallas are also in the top 100.

“On days when I have very severe allergies, it’s hard for me to focus on work. I don’t want to spend time outdoors, and I have a 3-year-old kid who loves to play football,” Bailey said.

Dr Karen Steerman says she has noticed a significant increase in the number of patients she is taking this spring.

Steerman is the founder of the ENT Allergy Center in Austin.

“Partly because this year’s oak pollen was so high. And the lack of rain, because you know that rain often washes away some of the oak pollen,” Stirman said.

According to the American Asthma and Allergy Foundation, more than 50 million Americans suffer from various types of allergies each year.

“Given the COVID protocols and the masks that were more stringent last spring, I think fewer allergens got into people’s noses. And again this is the path of penetration. It’s respiratory, ”Stirman said.

However, people like Bailey do not need to suffer.

She is eager to find the treatment that works best for her.

“The sooner I can control my allergies, the sooner I can get back to life,” Bailey said.