The peak of ragweed season has North Texas allergy sufferers searching for relief.
"Outside, it hits me like a wall," said Adam Houston, of Dallas. "My eyes are already watering, congestion and sinuses, little bit of drainage."
This season threatens to be more severe than most, following a cooler than normal summer and a wetter than normal August.
"Both of those allowed the weeds, particularly the ragweed, to grow bigger and stronger than they have in many years," said Dr. William Lumry, with Allergy & Asthma Specialists Of Dallas.
"We're now having a relatively dry fall, and so those weather conditions are sort of the perfect storm for a bad ragweed season," Lumry said.
Pharmacies are keeping store shelves stocked with the latest products, including eye drops, pills and nasal sprays.
New for this season without a prescription, pharmacists say Rhinocort offers a stronger nasal spray over the counter than Flonase or Nasacort.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"This is the Budesonide," said Walgreens pharmacist Elaine Nguyen. "It's also a steroid, so if the other two are not working out, I would suggest that this would be a really good option."
Many people use a combination of medicines to get through ragweed season, which doesn't end in North Texas until the end of November.
"There's a lot of tools out there that patients can use to control their allergies. They just have to step up and use them regularly," Lumry said.
