With colorful flowers in full bloom, spring is arguably the most beautiful of all seasons — and probably the worst one for anyone with allergies.

One Long, Tough Season For Allergy Sufferers: Experts

In most U.S. states, spring allergies typically start as early as February and last until early summer months. But according to latest reports, allergy season arrived two to three weeks earlier than usual this year.

"The lines between them [seasons] are becoming blurred and there is the potential that people who used to have seasonal allergies will have one long allergy season," Dr. Merritt Fajt, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, explained.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the country, with more than 50 million Americans suffering from allergies each year.

Causes And Symptoms Of Spring Allergies

The most notorious trigger of all spring allergies is pollen. They are the tiny grains that trees (such as cedar, juniper, elm, or cottonwood) or grasses and weeds (such as ragweed, saltgrass, or perennial rye) release into the air to fertilize other plants.

Pollens can travel for many miles and tend to be more abundant during breezy days.

When an allergic person gets exposed to pollen, his immune system treats it as a threat, releasing antibodies to attack the allergens and launching histamine into the bloodstream.

Allergic reactions from pollens can cause runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, itching, or hay fever.

How To Avoid Spring Allergies

There's no stopping spring and the allergens it comes with from coming. However, one can take practical, proactive steps to prevent those allergies from spoiling spring.

• Keep antihistamines within reach.
• Always shut doors and windows during pollen season.
• Stay indoors in the midday and afternoon when pollen levels are high.
• Use air conditioning and furnace filters with a MERV rating of 8 to 12, which screens out pollen and molds effectively.
• Use a humidifier and put humidity levels below 50 percent to get rid of dust mites, but above 30 percent so it's not too dry.
• Do a spring cleaning in allergy hotspots around the house — such as the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen.

Free And Useful Apps For People With Allergies

With the latest mobile apps available for download, technology has made the life of allergy sufferers a tad easier.

Here are three of our favorite free apps that can be handy for people who want to dodge spring allergies:

• AllergyEats —a complete guide to allergy-friendly restaurants in the United States
• AllergyManager — provides daily updates on pollen counts and four-day allergy forecasts
• First Aid by American Red Cross — learn step-by-step instructions on how to deal with a specific allergy attack