It is that time of year again when cars are covered in yellow and the sound of sneezes are in the air. Spring means it is time to pack up the winter coats and bring out the sundresses, but it is also means people better load up on tissues and sanitizer.

Wiregrass Ranch High School (WRHS) Junior, Riley Horrigan, talks about the start of allergy season.

“As soon as I start seeing cars covered in pollen, I know everyone’s allergies are going to be crazy,” Horrigan said.

Here are some tips for being prepared for allergy season:

1.Know what you are allergic to. You can go to your doctor or allergist to find out what specifically you are allergic to. Some people just have seasonal allergies which most of the time is from trees or pollen.

2. Minimize your exposure to allergens. Once you know what you are allergic to, you shouldn’t surround yourself with it. If it is outside that’s harder, but that just means minimize your time outside while pollen rates are high. Make sure to take up your spring cleaning and clean the house of indoor allergens and keep watch on local allergen forecast.

3. Figure out which allergy medication is right for you. After you get to know what your allergies are, ask your doctor which allergy medication would best suit you and your symptoms. Taking allergy medication before allergy peak season can alleviate nasal congestion, itchy nose, runny nose, watery eyes, and sneezing.

4.  Make sure to keep clean. Make sure your cleaning is kept up and you keep healthy. Make sure to keep washing your hands regularly and keep sanitizer on hand.

When allergies are on the rise, that means colds and the flu are on the rise as well. If you take steps to prevent allergies you can prevent the spread of other germs leading to other sickness.