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Wind, dust taking a toll on Las Vegas allergy sufferers as spring season arrives

Spring allergy season arrives in Las Vegas
Posted at 3:32 PM, Apr 11, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-12 00:41:45-04

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's the time of year Las Vegans dread. Allergy sufferers are having a hard this spring.

Dr. Joel Katz, director of Allergy & Asthma Center, says the valley is in the "peak of allergy season," when pollen and dust stir up a recipe for allergy disaster.

Katz says for most people, allergies about to get worse for one extreme reason:

"This is, by far, the worst time to deal with allergies, because all of our trees and our grass are pollinated, and as the city grows and our trees get older and older and bigger and bigger, they produce more pollen," Katz explained.

"Now, all of these pollens are being blown around by the wind, and you also have all of the particulates — the dust — being blown around, really bothering people significantly," he added.

Here are a few steps you can take to bring yourself a little relief this allergy season, according to Dr. Katz:

  • When the winds are high (like they were on Monday), stay inside if possible.
  • Keep your home and car windows closed.
  • Shower before you go to bed. This helps get rid of any pollen that could be in your hair.
  • Over-the-counter allergy medicine can provide relief, too.

If you've tried those things and you're still suffering, you may need to look at other options.

"People who are very allergic, what we can do is test them and figure out what allergies they have and then make up a solution of all the things they are allergic to and bring them in for a series of shots to desensitize them, to get rid of their allergies," Katz said.