Doctor says wearing a mask outside can help with fall allergy season

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala (WBMA) — As we embark on fall allergy season, could this season be different?

Will wearing a mask make it less awful?

Also, how will you be able to tell the difference between allergies & COVID symptoms?

A day in the park with her three children is a small sacrifice for Jessica Tegada when it comes to being exposed to outdoor allergies.

"It itch my eyes and my nose all the time you know it's allergies here in Alabama," Tegada said.

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She says the fall season is usually when her allergies spark.

"Like this time when it starts to change the season," she said.

"I've already been seeing some fall allergy people from the ragweed pollen for about two weeks now," Brookwood Baptist Medical Center ENT, Dr. Marc Routman said.

Dr. Routman says wearing a mask outside can help.

"I would think so under the circumstance that people wear their mask when they're outside," he said, "if people wear their mask when they're outside it may help some by keeping the ragweed pollen out of their noses and sinuses."

Routman says while wearing a mask is a good preventive measure, it's better to start your allergy medicine regimen now to keep an attack from starting.

"Once they start up they're harder to shut down cause you get all of these chemicals floating around in your body that the allergy causes you to release and it takes a few days for those chemicals to then get broken down or get out of your body," he said.

Just so you know, allergies and COVID-19 do have different symptoms.

COVID-19 tends to have a dry cough. Along with fever, shortness of breath and muscle aches.

Allergies typically come with postnasal drip, itchy eyes and nose and a runny nose.