The Courier News announces that allergy season is here once again. And one allergist, Dr. Greg Sharon, is preparing for a busy season.

‘There has been a major paradigm shift, a huge genetic change,’ says Sharon. ‘We are pretty much the same people as 100 years ago but our prevalence for allergies have skyrocketed.’

In the 1950s, six percent of the population was diagnosed with asthma and 16 to 20 percent had allergies. Now, according to a survey by Dr. Sharon's Asthma and Allergy Center, 50 percent of grade school students have allergies and 16 percent are asthmatic.

Dr. Sharon says that mold and pollen counts are increasing, and dust mites and animal dander will be a major concernt, too.

‘One of the best things in our business is cats,’ Dr. Sharon jokes. ‘I recommend every household get a cat.’

The article also lists the following springtime allergy tips, courtesy of achooallergy.com:

• When you have to work outdoors (especially if you're raking or mowing the lawn), wear a dust & pollen mask to avoid inhaling dust, pollen and mold.
• Limit outdoor activity when pollen counts or mold counts are high.
• When you go outdoors during your particular season of sensitivity, shower and change your clothes afterward because pollen grains and mold spores stick to clothing, skin and hair.
• Don't hang clothes outside to dry because allergens will stick to them.
• Use an allergen wash to remove allergens from your laundry in any water temperature.
• Avoid early morning outdoor activity (because that's when pollen is emitted).
• Pets can also carry pollen and mold. Bathing them every two weeks will eliminate these allergens and reduce dander which can aggravate seasonal allergies (and is itself an allergen).
• Keep windows closed or use window filters to keep allergens from floating inside.
• Air purifiers, furnace & vent filters, and HEPA vacuum cleaners will keep your indoor air free of allergens.
• Allergy relief bedding protects you from mold, dust, dander and other allergens while you sleep.
• Nasal irrigators & saline mists help restore moisture and wash allergens out of irritated nasal and sinus passages.