For those with allergies in Florida, spring is "sneezin' season." Solantic Baptist Urgent Care can help.

“March Madness” is all over the media this month. And for allergy sufferers, March is definitely maddening. But it has nothing to do with basketball. Allergies in Florida peak during March, especially pollen allergies. This season is a particularly tough one.

First, a cold winter followed by a sudden and sustained warming trend, plus the botanical blossoming brought about by those lingering warmer temperatures has jacked up pollen counts to near-record highs nationwide. To make things worse, “the same system that’s bringing in the warm air has also been blocking rainstorms from coming in,” Meteorologist Carl Park of The Weather Channel told Florida reporters recently. Rain typically helps clear away much of the pollen that fires up allergies, causing itchy eyes, runny noses and scratchy throats. No such luck for much of Florida this year.

The good news is that allergy season seems to be moving quickly this year. While doctor’s offices and urgent care centers are packed with sniffling, sneezing, watery-eyed and wearied patients, weather and nature experts expect the aggressive tree pollens to wane over the next month. In the meantime, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care has a few tips to help you breathe easier:

• - Know that the yellow pine tree pollen covering your driveway isn’t the main culprit. It’s the smaller-particle, unseen pollen from cedar, oak and maple trees that get into your sinuses and mess with your immune system. Check local pollen counts reported online before you head outside.
• - Stay indoors as much as possible and remember to keep windows closed so that pollen won’t float inside your home.
• - Change your air conditioning filter at least once a month. AC filters trap allergens like pollen, dust and pet dander, keeping them from floating about in your home.
• - If you do go outside your home, avoid the morning hours when pollen is at its worst.
• - If yard work just won’t wait, wear a mask to help reduce the amount of pollen you breathe in.
• - Add lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts to your snack list. They contain antioxidants that are effective against inflammation and upper respiratory infections.
• - Dine on cold water fish like wild salmon. The omega-3 fatty acids help decrease inflammation and guard against allergies.
• - Drink hot tea with lemon or honey first thing in the morning. This activates movement of the nasal cilia, which helps prevent those early morning sneezing fits.

If your allergies, asthma or hay fever are getting the best of you, head to your nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care center for quick, effective and affordable treatment of your symptoms. Each center has extended hours and a no-appointment-necessary policy, so it’s easy to get the fast, competent urgent care you need.

Spring is just around the corner, and for America’s 20 million asthma sufferers, that could me a rough couple of months. In fact, Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care and other urgent care providers nationwide see typically see an increase in visits by asthmatic patients during the springtime. Sunny days mean more time spent outside, which means exposure to asthma and allergy triggers such as pollen, grass and air pollution.

Consider these statistics from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America – Every day in the U.S.:

•    40,000 people miss school or work due to asthma;
•    30,000 people suffer an asthma attack;
•    5,000 people visit the emergency room with an asthma-related condition;
•    1,000 of them are admitted to the hospital;
•    11 people die of asthma-related problems.

In fact, asthma is the fourth leading cause of work absenteeism among adults and the No. 1 cause of chronic illness-related school absences for children ages five to 17 and results in more hospitalizations than any other childhood disease. Each year, 4,000 people die as a direct result of asthma, and the condition is considered a “contributing factor” in nearly 7,000 other deaths. These statistics represent a 50-percent jump in asthma deaths since 1980, including an 80-percent jump in the asthma death rate for children under age 19 since 1980.

If you think you may have asthma, Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care offers age-appropriate screenings and wellness services that can help diagnose and treat your asthma symptoms. And to help you maintain your respiratory health, we offer several healthy tips. To help prevent asthma flare-ups, consider stress-reducing exercises and techniques such as yoga and meditation. Breathing exercises and regular (reasonable) aerobic exercise also can strengthen your lungs and increase your respiratory function. And research suggests that antioxidants (particularly vitamin A and vitamin C) can help protect the lungs of people with asthma against oxidative stress.

Solantic urgent care physicians also recommend being keenly aware of potential asthma and allergen triggers that are more prevalent during the spring season, including pollens and grasses. Got spring cleaning or sprucing up the home planned? That’s a good idea, as microscopic dust mites hiding in house dust, carpets, and pillows can be triggers as well. Just be careful as you polish that dust-laded furniture. And go light on air fresheners, particularly aerosols. Paint fumes can be irritants too, so if you’re planning on repainting rooms, consider hiring a professional painter, or putting that task on your honey-do list while you take a breather elsewhere.

Should you experience any asthma-related complication, head to your nearest Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care (30 locations throughout Florida) asap. We’ll take care of your urgent care needs and help develop a health maintenance plan based upon your medical condition and unique lifestyle.