As many as 50 percent of Americans suffer from some type of allergy, most of them nasal allergies like hay fever, which can flare up in the spring and cause sneezing, itchy eyes, and nasal congestion. For seasonal allergy sufferers, this spring has probably been particularly bad, according to allergy specialist Edward Schulman, M.D., the featured guest on this month’s installment of the Drexel Medcast®, a monthly medical podcast with leading academic physicians and scientists from the Drexel University College of Medicine faculty.

“This season has been absolutely one of the worst we’ve had in years,” said Schulman, who is a professor in the Department of Medicine and chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. “We had a lot of rain at the beginning of April which led to a lot of vegetation and sprouting, so trees and grasses, which are the typical springtime allergens, are particularly prolific.”

During the podcast interview, Schulman discusses allergy systems and diagnosis, as well as treatment. He also offers tips to prevent allergies from flaring up, like washing your hair at night to get the pollens out. In addition, he discusses the connection between allergies and asthma.

“Many asthma patients have some type of allergic rhinitis associated with their asthma,” said Schulman. “Unless the rhinitis is controlled, the asthma will not be controlled.”

Listen to the Medcast.