Got red eyes, runny nose and sneezing attacks?

Also 238,000 of us in Lexington County – about 80% of our population – suffer seasonal allergies, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, and many more believe they do.

“We spend as much time telling people they don’t have allergies as we spend telling them they do,” said Kraig Jacobson, a specialist in allergy and immunology.

The immune systems of those of us genuinely allergic to pollen release an antibody called immunoglobulin E, which binds to the allergen and causes the body’s cells to release histamine.

It’s a defensive reaction that can feel more like an attack than a rescue.

Histamine makes our eyes water and skin turn red. It makes us sneeze, wheeze and feel chest tightness.

Pollen irritates our eyes and respiratory passages.

If one parent is allergic to pollen you are twice as likely to be allergic. If both parents are allergic, you are 4 times as likely to inherit it.

Reactions range from mild to severe. The worst is your eyes swell shut or you have wheezing that has to be treated at an urgent care or emergency room.