Specialist Says Allergy Season Will Be Long and Bad

If you're an allergy sufferer, better stock up on tissues.

A Valley allergy specialist, Brian Rizzo, is predicting a major allergy season this year.

``We're starting to get into the 80s this week, and I would expect that within the next couple of weeks, the allergies really start to get severe," Rizzo said. ``If you look around, you'll notice that the Valley is very green right now, and so I anticipate it being a fairly rigid, long allergy season that could last well into the middle of the summer."

There are several things you can take for allergies, Rizzo said.

``You can start with over-the-counter antihistamines like Claritin. Zirtec has come over the counter recently, and it is an excellent antihistamine to get allergies under control. It's very powerful."

Using a humidifier and drinking lots of liquids can be helpful, Rizzo said.

``Water is always good for your nose," he said. ``Anything you can do to humidify -- drinking water, using saline nasal rinses or, as Oprah made famus this year, using the Neti Pot to rinse out your nose."

If all else fails, Rizzo said see your doctor.