allergies

As rain continues to be scarce, Florida's air is full of dust and pollen, causing respiratory issues for some people.

If you are prone to allergies, buckle up! Hay fever season is getting a jump start after last week's warm weather surged across Florida.

Of the 6 million prescriptions written for EpiPen auto-injectors each year, more than 40% are never filled, USF allergist Dr. Thomas Casale told an FDA advisory panel last year.

Allergy season lasts almost the entire year in Florida, and some experts say warmer weather could extend it.

The level of misery people will face depends on where they live and what they're allergic to, but there are things you can do to feel better.

Has the pollen been worse this year? Doctors think so and are seeing more cases of allergy complaints this year then before. Rain in the state's forecast may offer a brief respite.

Some doctors prescribe sublingual immunotherapy, known as SLIT, a serum taken as drops under the tongue. Patients like it, but it is not FDA-approved, so insurance usually doesn't cover it.

A recent study from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranks seven Florida counties among the top 20 "allergy capitals" across the country.

Patients who have digestive symptoms only after eating red meat may have developed an allergy caused by ticks. The CDC says hundreds of thousands of people may have been affected over the past decade.

The spread is heightened by the seasonal wind. For people experiencing allergy symptoms, experts recommend staying indoors, closing windows and showering after being outside.