{"id":94,"date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cmmhealth.org\/news\/spring-is-in-the-air-and-so-are-allergens-how-to-combat-spring-allergies\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T20:04:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T20:04:30","slug":"spring-is-in-the-air-and-so-are-allergens-how-to-combat-spring-allergies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cmmhealth.org\/es\/about\/news\/spring-is-in-the-air-and-so-are-allergens-how-to-combat-spring-allergies\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Is in the Air, And So Are Allergens\u2014How to Combat Spring Allergies"},"content":{"rendered":"

For some of us, April marks the end of the ski season. For allergy specialists like me, it means the beginning of a very busy season. Warmer weather and longer days help trees pollinate. While the greening up of our snow-packed mountains is beautiful, it is a signal that those who suffer from allergies will experience unwelcomed symptoms like itchy eyes, sneezing fits, nasal congestion, or that persistent tickle in the throat. 

As an allergist-immunologist and a proud member of this vibrant mountain community, I am passionate about a personal approach to health and helping people not \u201cjust live with\u201d allergies or immune conditions that affect their quality of life. 
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Understanding Spring Allergies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Spring allergies\u2014commonly known as hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis\u2014are an exaggerated immune response to something that normally shouldn\u2019t cause problems. People can develop allergies for a variety of reasons at any stage in their lives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. A genetic predisposition:<\/strong>\u00a0Allergies are genetic, so if your siblings or parents are allergic, there is a higher chance you will be too.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Sensitization:<\/strong>\u00a0Normally when exposed to pollen or pet dander, our body is meant to be tolerant and say, \u201cnah, that\u2019s nothing to worry about.\u201d Sensitization is when your body\u2019s immune system starts to think that that pollen or pet dander is a threat and overreacts to try and deal with it by making allergic antibodies. The key to sensitization is that nothing happens unless you get exposed to the allergen you are allergic to (also known as re-exposure). For example, someone with an allergy to tree pollen will only have symptoms in the spring when the trees are pollinating, but won\u2019t have symptoms any other time of the year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Re-exposure:<\/strong>\u00a0When someone is already sensitized to tree pollen, for example, exposure during the spring causes cells in the allergic immune system (called mast cells) to release histamine, among other chemicals, which leads to allergy symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Whether it\u2019s tree pollen in the spring, weeds in the fall, cats or dogs, this is how environmental allergens cause symptoms in a predisposed person. But don\u2019t fret! There is help. My job as an allergist-immunologist is to help identify what you are allergic to, typically through skin testing, and treat those symptoms with tactics like avoidance measures, medications and allergy shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What You Can Do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Since I am new to the Colorado Mountain Medical team, and there is a high demand for the Allergy & Immunology service<\/a>, it could take a few weeks or months to get an appointment. Call (970) 363-5289<\/a> today to get on my calendar, and in the meantime, here are a few steps you can take now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n