Get Ready for Allergy Season

IT'S NOT YOUR IMAGINATION: THE POLLEN THAT MAKES YOU ITCH AND SNIFFLE LASTS LONGER AND IS STRONGER-THAN BEFORE. AN EXPERT SHARES SURVIVAL TIPS

- EILEEN FINAN

Up to 40 percent of people suffer from springtime allergies-and the culprit is more irritating than ever, says Dr. Christina Ciaccio, chief of pediatric allergy and immunology at University of Chicago Medical Center. "Climate warming and increased CO2 levels favor pollen seasons that start earlier," she says. "And it's more potent pollen. It seems to be more activating to our immune system." Ciaccio gives advice on making spring more bearable.

What kind of pollen triggers allergies?