By Emily Murray

While most of us are likely celebrating the fact  we evaded the normally bitter winter weather this season, doctors warn that as a result of this abnormally mild winter, allergy season is here early.

It’s not atypical for people this time of year to be sniffling and sneezing as they fight of f a cold, but according the new information published in the Washington Post, these symptoms are more likely related to allergies. The typical allergy season we see each spring generally gets started the end of March or the beginning of April but (as reported by the article) many in the Washington area have been feeling the effects of allergy season for the past month.

So what exactly spurred such an early allergy season?

According to medical professionals, it’s because there is an increase in pollen in the air which has resulted from more plants blooming earlier as a result of the warmer weather. Additionally, more people are enjoying the weather outdoors putting them directly in the path of this overabundance of pollen.

Many of us may wonder since the season has begun early, does this mean it will end early? Sorry, more bad news – it merely means a longer, more drawn out season of the sniffles for allergy sufferers. If the weather makes a drastic change, it is possible allergy season could be impacted but if things remain moving in the current direction, it’s likely that we are looking at a longer than normal season.

With this unusual earliness, many people are seeking treatment for what they believe is a cold. Unfortunately, this may keep them from actually treating or using preventative treatment like they normally do for their seasonal allergies.

If your allergies are generally spurred by grass and weeds however, you may not be hit as early as those bothered by certain types of pollen which has already begun to be released into the air.

Hopefully, armed with this new information, those who normally suffer from pollen related seasonal allergies can begin taking some preventative actions like cutting back on outdoor activities on high pollen count days and keeping windows shut so that pollen can not float into the house.