PHOENIX (CBS5) -
Although the weather may be getting nicer, this is not a good time of year for allergy sufferers.
"September through the end of November is busy, Christmas time is a good time, then it starts up again in late January until it gets hot, like the end of May," said Dr. Duane Wong with Arizona Allergy Associates.
Wong has seen a significant increase in patients over the past week. Weeds and grasses are the primary culprits.
Pollen counts tend to be the highest between 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. the following morning.
"If you suffer from seasonal allergies, nighttime is not a good time to keep your windows open even though it's really a nice time of year," added Wong.
This time of year can also be challenging for asthma sufferers. Does that mean there's a correlation between the two?
"Asthma can be triggered by allergies, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's just triggered by viral illnesses," said Wong.
Statistics suggest that asthma-related hospitalizations are twice as like to occur in September than at any other time of the year.
"Part of that's because it's when we see the pollen start to come up. We also see the kids start to go back to school and they start passing around respiratory illnesses," Wong said.
Allergies can generate what Wong calls co-illnesses, such as sinus infections.
Besides keeping your windows closed at night, Wong said it's important to shower at night, so you don't bring those pollens to bed with you. And if your symptoms are severe, you might want to talk to an allergist about medication.
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Weeds and grasses
