If you're a hay fever sufferer, you're not going to like what you're about to read.

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Allergy Specialist at the Rutgers Center of Environmental Prediction Dr. Leonard Bielory says, "Over the past few weeks mold spores have been out there more so than other years due to the extreme moisture- thunderstorms constantly kicking around…High temperatures and moisture we've had this summer is creating a field of pollen from ragweed, mugwort, doc, there's a variety of weeds."

He says over the past 25 years ragweed pollen has migrated north and hay fever season is starting 3 weeks earlier than 25 years ago in the Midwest. And with all the teaming downpours and high temperatures we've had this summer, the upcoming hay fever season promises to be very intense.

"What we will see is that plants will be larger - they will have a higher bio-mass, you will see fields of mugwort going on…Mugwort is another weed that's just huge, and there's just mold spores spewing forth."

Dr. Bielory points out 3 out of 4 Americans that are have allergies react badly to ragweed, and this season is going to be a very strong one. More people are allergic now than they were 20 years ago- and in the next 1 to 2 weeks we're going to have a spectrum of items affecting people.

"With mold spores shooting off the charts, as well as the ragweed count, which is normally about 10 to 20 - and it's going to hit 60's - it's going to be 2 to 3, 4 times the normal amount."

He adds many people "will start feeling itching in the eyes, tears, watering, they'll get watery nose- sneezing and just general misery -and a fever can occur, but it's usually malaise- just people not feeling well cause of their sinuses…So if you're bothered by ragweed, in the next week to 10 days, you're probably going to start having problems…the sinuses get closed and therefore people get headaches, frontal headaches above the eyes, maxillary headaches - which are just below the eyes, and even dental sensitivity of the upper teeth."

What can you do about it?

Dr. Bielory says, "There are nasal antihistamines that have an immediate effect, but nasal steroids are the best drug for nasal congestion and long term inflammation…There are also excellent new eye drops, but you shouldn't use them too often."

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