Bay Area allergy sufferers endure worst season in years after record wet winter

SAN FRANCISCO – Bay Area residents who find themselves sniffling and sneezing more than usual this season are not alone. Researchers are calling this allergy season one of the worst they have seen.

Kelly Miller has seasonal allergies, but still finds time to go for a walk with her two gods five times a day. She says this season has been harder than others when going outside.

“I do want to stay indoors, especially if it’s windy, because I feel like the wind kicks it up…the pollen or whatever it is,” Miller said.

Miller isn’t the only one feeling this year’s allergy struggle.

According to experts, Bay Area residents are experiencing worse allergy symptoms right now than previous years. This is due to the several winters storm that hit the area, and that heavy rain has increased the pollen.

“I can tell that my eyes are itchier for longer periods of time and my eye lids feel dry,” Miller told KPIX. “It is definitely a difference from last year.”

Dr. Jennifer Klein, an allergist with Kaiser Permanente, said she has noticed an uptick of residents suffering from allergies.

“Part of it is just not wearing masks and the other part of it is the type of winter we had, said Klein. “Basically, we are having a super bloom and here we are.”

And COVID-19, too, is playing a factor into this allergy season.

“The other problem is that because we have been wearing masks for so long, we are also just catching more regular colds this year. We are getting more exposure to allergens, because we don’t have a mask covering our noses and mouth all the time,” Klein explained. “And the symptoms of allergies can look like the symptoms of covid.”

Even if you haven’t experienced allergies in the past, you soon could.

“People who normally aren’t bothered by their allergies at all. People who normally get by with an occasional antihistamine dose are coming in with daily symptoms,” Klein said.

The doctor provided tips to manage those allergies.

“When you come in at night, take a shower, wash your hair, get the pollen off of you,” said Klein. “Change clothes before you go to bed at night so that you aren’t marinating in pollen all night while you are sleeping. Try to keep the windows in your bedroom closed while you sleep, so that pollen doesn’t creep in.”