The Spring allergy season is off to an early start in Texoma.
Texomans who have been feeling a little under the weather lately are blaming the extreme temperature changes.
"It's crazy! Last year when we moved here the bugs were crazy but now it's cold, it's hot, cold, hot. I've been sneezing, with a runny nose, coughing and I have a major sinus headache all the time," said one Wichita Falls resident.
Another Texoman whose family has been sick recently says, "When it's cold we get a little sniffily and then when it's hot we get kind of a fever and it's up and down for my family. One week we're sick and one week we're good."
Doctor Brian Hull with United Regional Physician group says he's seen an increase in patients with allergies lately but it's not because of the constant temperature changes. In fact he says that's an old myth.
"We're starting to get some early blooming and that always means we'll have early allergies and coupled with a windier season and a dryer climate that makes it worse for a lot of people," said Hull.
Hull says even the drought has helped trigger the allergy season ahead of time. He says with less moisture on the ground there's more dust that gets dragged around by the wind. There's only a few scenarios where temperatures could become a factor on your health. Really cold temperatures tend to dry up your nasal passage. That could lead to a sinus headache. And when you are in a very hot or cold environment for a long time your immune system could go down.
Hull says, "If you're going outside without your coat on and you stay out there then that's going to make your body more stressed but you're not more susceptible to an infection because you got cold for a short period of time when you walked out of the mall or went to your car."
The doctor says he expects allergy cases to raise even more through out the spring.
