'Wait and see': Experts say it's too soon to say how severe this allergy season will be in Alberta
As the snow melts on the ground, allergy season is beginning in Alberta.
Parts of Canada are seeing soaring levels of pollen, but according to one allergist and professor of medicine, it's too early to tell how bad it will be in Alberta.
"Allergy season in Alberta usually starts as soon as the snow melts because of the moulds that accumulate under the snow," Dr. Harissios Vliagoftis of the University of Alberta told CTV News Edmonton on Monday.
"We did not have as much snow during the year, so it's tough to tell if it will be worse."
Vliagoftis says a warmer winter could cause plants to start producing pollen earlier in the year, which could cause issues for some people who suffer from allergies, ranging from mild to severe.
"Symptoms of allergies can affect our noses, a stuffy nose, runny nose, a lot of nasal secretions can affect your lungs," Vliagoftis said.
"Some people who don't have asthma will have symptoms of asthma during the spring or around other allergens that could also affect our skin or other organs."
Pharmacist Will Leung says treatments vary depending on the symptoms.
"If they're having itchy eyes, for example, and that's the only symptom, you can give them eye drops," he said.
"If their general symptoms are a runny nose, sneezy and so forth, then you would choose a nasal spray."
He suggests allergy patients check in with a doctor or pharmacist to find the product that works best for them.
Vliagoftis says there are a lot of factors in spring that can impact the severity of allergy season.
"We have to see how humidity and heat (and) the temperature will go on over the next month to couple months to see if it will get worse or not."
"A very wet spring, very hot spring can increase [allergy triggers] a lot, and we have to wait and see what happens."
He added spring pollen typically tends to stick around until June or early July, and then there's a break before another allergy season starts again in the fall.
"When the leaves start falling, and there are rotting leaves on the ground, and then we have again, a lot of moulds."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi found dead at helicopter crash site, state media says
Iranian president, the country’s foreign minister and others have been found dead at the site of a helicopter crash Monday after a search through a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest.
The push to Parliament's summer hiatus is about to begin, here's what you need to know
When MPs file back in to the House of Commons on Tuesday, it will be for the final five-week parliamentary push before hitting the barbecue circuit. Looking ahead to what could be a raucous rush to the summer hiatus, CTVNews.ca spoke with top House representatives to get a sense of what's atop their priority list.
Stittsville residents seeking answers as bylaw cracks down on street basketball nets
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
Court eases internet restrictions for Sask. man who matched with a 15-year-old girl on Tinder
A Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
'A horrible way to start the summer': 3 killed in serious boat crash on lake north of Kingston, Ont.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
What do we know so far about the mysterious crash of the helicopter carrying Iran's president?
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
Your kids' ultraprocessed food consumption may put them at higher risk, study shows
The ultraprocessed foods your kids eat now may be putting them at greater risk for cardiometabolic problems – like heart attack, stroke and diabetes – in adulthood, a new study suggests.
Ex-partner charged with first-degree murder after 55-year-old woman killed in Montreal
Less than 24 hours after Montreal's 12th homicide investigation began, Montreal police confirmed that a 55-year-old woman's death in St. Michel is the island's 13th homicide. The woman's ex-spouse has been charged with first-degree murder.