Spring is around the corner and so is allergy season. If you suffer from sneezing, itchy eyes, and congestion we’ve got you covered. Dr. Tyler Liebgott, Pharm D is a Pharmacy District Leader for CVS Pharmacy in the Harrisburg region. He shared advice on how to manage allergies before they start, the best over the counter treatments, and simple lifestyle changes to help you breathe easier this season.

Asia: Could you tell us the current pollen conditions in Harrisburg?

Dr. Liebgott: Yeah, so looking at the forecast, currently we're around the medium threshold for pollen. And over the next few days, we're about to see the same thing, but as we inch closer to spring, we're gonna see an increase in pollen and it's best to get ahead of the spring allergies before they truly hit oneself.

Asia: Why does it seem that in the spring, that's when allergies hit the hardest?

Dr.  Liebgott: It's just due to the pollen in the air. There's different allergens that people can be allergic to, and it allows our body to create a histamine, which is a chemical, which increases inflammation within the body and can have symptoms such as runny nose, itchy eyes, post -nasal drip, coughing and sneezing that we commonly see throughout the springtime. So... Um, my, you know, I'm excited to be able to talk through some of those things and how we can best prepare our, uh, the people of Harrisburg and central Pennsylvania to help prepare them through the spring season and hopefully control their allergies.

Asia:  Yeah, so what are some of those most common allergens that you were talking about that people experience in the spring?

Dr. Liebgott: The allergens that most people experience, pollen is number one. And then maple right now is really big. It's the number one allergen on the list as of right now. And elm is also an allergen as well. It's pretty common amongst people in central Pennsylvania. You know, one of the best things to do is what I say when you're preparing for allergy season, and if you know you have spring allergies, always try and start two to four weeks before those symptoms start. You can either go in by talking to one of our pharmacists in a store or chatting with one on cbs .com and they can really recommend over -the -counter products or natural ways to prevent allergies from really being bothersome this season.

Listen to the podcast to hear the full conversation. 

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