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Nearly 20 percent of the population suffers with seasonal allergies and most often affects people under the age of 30 but if you are older than thirty, you may not be completely allergy free.

While it’s unlikely to come down with an allergy in your forties, it can happen especially this year, the early Spring led to an early season of allergies.

"People complaining of eye symptoms, nasal symptoms much earlier in the year,” said Allergist, Dr.Terese Copeland.

The number of months for pollen season may be growing, currently it's tree pollen season but we are quickly rolling right into grass pollen season.

Dr. Copeland said, “There have been studies showing the pollen season has been longer and the amount of pollen created by the plants is greater than years past."

Symptoms?

Dr. Copeland said, "Most people will experience nasal congestion, itchy nose, drippy nose and itchy, watery eyes and a significant amount of patients will say they have itchy watery eyes that they forget to mention to us."

Tips to reduce your pollen count.

“If you have air conditioning, to keep windows and doors closed and use air conditioning instead because if you open your windows or doors, the pollen blows in. If ii is a windy day and the pollen count is high that may be a day to curtail how much time you spend outdoors,” said Dr. Copeland.

If you can’t seem to determine what you are allergic to, testing is always an option.

You have heard being screened for allergies is painful? Being stuck with lots of needles, in fact it's nearly painless, swipe of alcohol and a little prick and that is it.

I was tested for tree pollen, grass, poplar and dust mites, fifteen minutes later, no allergies detected, if I was allergic, it'd look like this, red, swollen and itchy. Treatment for mild allergies can be over the counter meds, Allegra, Claritin or Zyrtec.