Flickr/Creative Commons/|Chris|Summer isn't officially over yet, but a lot of allergy-sufferers are already sniffling -- and a new report from the Weather Channel's website warns this allergy season will be worse and last longer than almost any other in recent history.
Why? The extreme heat is causing plants to produce more pollen -- sometimes three to four more times more pollen than usual.
In Minnesota, a local allergist confirmed that people could be sniffling well into November without an early frost.
"I'm guessing that -- as long as we don't have a snowfall and as long as we don't have that first hard freeze -- we are going to continue to have allergy season getting prolonged," predicted Dr. Pramrod Kelkar, an Allina Clinic allergist.
Many Minnesotans who are already experiencing symptoms are coming in for allergy shots, but others can use over-the-counter medications to help ease those symptoms.
Kelkar also recommends showering after being outside to wash pollens and other allergens off the skin, and says residents should keep their windows shut on windy days.
