Spring has sprung, and so have the sniffles - what to do about pollen season

(FOX 2) - Are you feeling the effects of spring? Allergy season is here and if it feels a little rough already, some scientists speculate that climate change might be triggering more pollen.  

The question is how do we fight this miserable feeling? 

You may have seen that video circulationg around of workers cutting a big limb off a tree, in Chattanooga, Tenn. As it fell, it started releasing pollen. When it landed, a huge yellow cloud of the stuff kicked up. 

That pollen can travel for miles and it's the main culprit when it comes to seasonal allergies.

Dr. Devanh Doshi is Chief of allergy and immunology at Beautmont Childrens Hosptial, and says when you start feeling lousy you can easily confuse a springtime cold with an allergic reaction. A fever is your clue. 

"One of the key things we see with cold and infections is fever, so fever is the one of main things you see with infection which we don't typically see with pollen or allergies," he says.   

The good news is a lot of over the counter options are available for treatment, from pills to nasal sprays, even eye drops. They stop your body's reaction to those foreign bodies. 
There are dozens of brands, but all pretty much do the same thing and are anti histamines. 

"Histamine is responsible for the watery, itchy; the tearing; the sneezing; the runny nose; the cogestion. So all the bad effects we associate with allergy symptoms are related to histamine release. So the anti histamines block that response," Dr. Doshi says. 

If it gets really bad you can get allergy shots and avoid the outdoors and keep the windows closed. 

Dr. Doshi says if a certain allergy medication isn't helping you, don't just take more - you might need to try a different brand.