Dr. Susan Hagen on Coping with Seasonal Allergies

It's that time of year -- when nature starts to wake up with an explosion of seasonal allergens in the air. Boulder Community Health's Dr. Susan Hagen recently spent some time outside with Nicole Brady of Denver Channel 7 to discuss what causes seasonal allergies and what you can do to treat and minimize their effects.

According to Dr. Hagen, this time of year, you can blame the trees for your sneeze. Up to 30% of Americans suffer from some type of seasonal allergies. The good news is that most allergy sufferers can get by with some type of over-the-counter medication such as antihistamines and nasal sprays.

If you do suffer from seasonal allergies, Dr. Hagen explains that a good rule of thumb is to think about allergy medicine the same way you think about sunscreen. "If you know you have an allergy, take the allergy medicine about 30 minutes before you go outside. That way it has time to actually get in your body and start working." If your symptoms are severe, Dr. Hagen advises limiting your time outside, particuarly on windy days when there is a lot of pollen circulating.