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Early Spring Means First Time Allergies For Some

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Tuesday was the first full day of spring, but it's felt like the new season for quite some time here in the Tri-State Area.

WCBS 880's Sean Adams On The Story

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Now some are relishing this warm weather, but for some with allergies, it has been miserable.

We first told you about the early pollen release a month ago. With the continued warm weather, it's only getting worse.

"It's much earlier and much more fierce this year," says Dr. David Resnick, head of the allergy and immunology division at Columbia University Medical Center.

Now he says he has had a long line of new patients.

"There are patients in their 30s and 40s who never had allergies, and because the count is so high they're actually coming for the first time," he told WCBS 880 reporter Sean Adams.

And the reactions are severe, sometimes over the counter antihistamines aren't enough.

"Beside histamines being released, there are inflammatory chemicals that are released that cause inflammation. So the over the counter medicines only work on one component of the problem," he said.

People are being prescribed inhaled steroids.

"Inhaled steroids work by decreasing inflammation and actually lowering the number of allergy cells that are in the airway," he said.

Some extreme cases require immunotherapy - shots over a period of time that bolster the immune system.

How are you doing with the allergies this spring? Share your story in the comments section below!

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