The peak of ragweed season has North Texas allergy sufferers searching for relief.
The peak of ragweed season has North Texas allergy sufferers searching for relief.
"Outside, it hits me like a wall," said Adam Houston, of Dallas. "My eyes are already watering, congestion and sinuses, little bit of drainage."
This season threatens to be more severe than most, following a cooler than normal summer and a wetter than normal August.
"Both of those allowed the weeds, particularly the ragweed, to grow bigger and stronger than they have in many years," said Dr. William Lumry, with Allergy & Asthma Specialists Of Dallas.
"We're now having a relatively dry fall, and so those weather conditions are sort of the perfect storm for a bad ragweed season," Lumry said.
Pharmacies are keeping store shelves stocked with the latest products, including eye drops, pills and nasal sprays.
New for this season without a prescription, pharmacists say Rhinocort offers a stronger nasal spray over the counter than Flonase or Nasacort.
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"This is the Budesonide," said Walgreens pharmacist Elaine Nguyen. "It's also a steroid, so if the other two are not working out, I would suggest that this would be a really good option."
Many people use a combination of medicines to get through ragweed season, which doesn't end in North Texas until the end of November.
"There's a lot of tools out there that patients can use to control their allergies. They just have to step up and use them regularly," Lumry said.
