 The president's budget proposal eliminates public media funding. Learn how you can help at lptv.org slash action. Have you been finding yourself sneezing, itching your eyes or blowing your nose recently? If so, it's probably because your spring allergies are acting up and as Clayton Castle tells us, those symptoms are common this time of year. With temperatures rising and the grass turning green, seasonal allergens are also blooming just in time for the spring. Some of the most common allergies are pollen, trees and grass. The inhalants, the pollens and the mold spores and everything that's released into the air as the weather warms up. It's also important to recognize some of the symptoms of the common nasal allergies. Typically that will cause a lot of symptoms of itchy eyes, eye swelling, eye watering, sneezing, throat swelling, itchy ears, scratchy sinuses, that sort of thing but a lot of people will also progress to getting short to some breath, difficulty in breathing. Those patients typically have allergic asthma as well, which goes very closely with the seasonal allergies. While seasonal nasal allergies rarely lead to emergency room visits, other allergies such as a bee sting allergy can cause serious symptoms and can even be fatal. We typically recommend allergy testing if you've had exposures to bees where you've had sting episodes and you've had full body symptoms, so hives, wheezing, trouble breathing. If you get swelling in locations other than right where the sting is, that really increases your risk for anaphylaxis. So while you're outside enjoying the beautiful spring weather around the lake, be sure to take precautions so that you don't find yourself back inside with a sneeze and a cough. So I typically recommend people start with their nasal sprays such as nasal steroids and their antihistamines about four weeks before we expect to warm up. I know that's always hard to predict around here when we will warm up, but usually I recommend early to mid-March to start those medications. Now according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, nearly 50 million Americans are affected by nasal allergies. Reporting in Brainer Clayton Castle, Lakeland News. Another good way to check to see if your allergies may act up is to check the pollen and mold count before you head out the door in the morning. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.