Here comes allergy season again.

Allergy sufferers throughout the U.S. are or soon will be experiencing the itchy and watery eyes, nasal congestion, runny noses, headaches, drowsiness, sneezes, and over-all miserableness that accompany fall allergy season. In response, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Milwaukee, Wis., offers the following advice on allergy relief and reminds the public to take allergies seriously:

Ragweed, the pollen most responsible for hay fever in North America, is found in high concentrations throughout the Northeast and Midwest and can grow anywhere. Blooming from mid-August to October, each ragweed plant produces about 1,000,000,000 pollen grains per average season that can travel 300 to 400 miles.

Outdoor molds, common in the North during the fall and year-round in the South and on the West Coast, are found in soil, vegetation, and rotting wood. They begin to appear after spring thawing and peak in late summer or early autumn. Meanwhile, fall pollinating trees, flowers, and weeds--including sagebrush, pigweed, tumbleweed, and Russian thistles--are troublesome in the South.

While refraining from all allergic sources is impossible, there are some measures that may be helpful. Sufferers should be reminded that, although allergy season has been under way for several weeks, they may not see complete relief until the first frost occurs in their area. They should stay indoors between five a.m. and 10 a.m., since this is when pollen counts are highest.

Rainy, cloudy, or windless days serve to alleviate the allergic condition, causing pollen to disperse slowly. The best time for outdoor activities for a pollen-sensitive person is immediately following a heavy rainfall.

Allergy sufferers should avoid raking leaves. Shoes and clothing worn outside should remain outdoors or be washed immediately in hot water.

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