This story is a partnership between WTKR News 3 and The Virginian-Pilot/Daily Press.
Hampton Roads sees a lot of pollen in the spring, so it's no surprise that the Hampton Roads community is no stranger to allergy sufferers.
Dr. Mark Haggerty with Sentara spoke with our news gathering partners at The Virginian Pilot about what to expect this allergy season.
Dr. Haggerty says that allergies become an issue when our bodies are exposed to things that it doesn't like, forming inflammatory mediators, mucus and biofilms to be a type of barrier to that insult in our body.
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The Hampton Roads area is constantly ranked as one of the highest, most challenging areas overall to live with seasonal allergies, according to Dr. Haggerty. But there are things you can do to mitigate symptoms.
Dr. Haggerty says to try and get ahead of any allergy symptoms you usually experience, like taking an oral antihistamine, nasal spray, or even a nasal saline irrigation to get rid of mucus.
If you have significant allergies, you may be able to get in to see a specialist.
Our weather team tracks pollen in the area when the allergy season starts near the beginning of the spring.
Read The Virginian-Pilot's full story on allergies here.
