CLEVELAND -- "The Polar Vortex gave us a really long, hard winter," says Lolita McDavid, MD, a pediatrician at UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital. "Because we had this long winter, the grass and tree allergy seasons will happen at the same time so people are going to get hit twice as hard."

Usually, the tree allergy season comes first in the early spring, followed by the grass allergy season a little later. This year, Dr. McDavid expects allergies to arrive later for most people but with a bigger reaction for those allergic to both trees and grass. This is compounded by another factor. "We've been seeing it every year -- the spring allergy season has gotten worse," says Dr. McDavid. "We're not sure why."

Tips for Spring Allergies1) Take off clothes after coming in from outside2) Shampoo after yard work to wash pollen out of hair3) Close windows if possible4) See doctor for antihistamine

Dr. McDavid can be available for interview. Additionally, a VO/SOT package, b-roll, natural sound, and sound bites from Lolita McDavid, MD, Pediatrician at UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, are available on University Hospitals Case Medical Center Newsroom at http://news.uhhospitals.org/.

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