Pollen is in the air and those who suffer spring allergies may be heading for the nearest pharmacy counter.

Dr. Denis Fortier with Southern Health says one season is not work than another for allergies but adds it can vary from year to year depending on wind, humidity, and the age of the individual.

"If you're in a group of young people, they won't be complaining of allergies as much as an older group of people because allergies kind of develop as we get older. Just being exposed, exposed, exposed to all these allergens, it causes people to eventually develop allergies over a period of time."

Dr. Fortier says allergy symptoms can range from red eyes, runny nose, coughing, and sneezing to feeling the constant need to clear your throat or having your ears plug up due to swelling.

He notes an individual can suffer from seasonal allergies during any of the four seasons.

"I would say if you're someone who suffers during the spring-time, you are probably mostly allergic to the pollens. I think that's all settling down now, but you might want to take products from when the snow melts to the first week in July. If you're someone who has summer allergies you're actually going to be starting to ramp up your medication at about this time until the fall."

He notes there are antihistamine medications available and it's best to consult a pharmacist as to which is best for you. 

"It's related to a chemical called histamine in our cells. It's a histamine release that causes all of those [allergy] symptoms, so you're looking for an antihistamine."

Dr. Fortier says, for some individuals, it may be helpful to see an allergist to find out what exactly they're allergic to.