By Dr. Steven Rubinstein

Approximately 40 percent of Americans suffer from some form of allergy. There are many allergens, including pollen, animal dander, dust mites and mold. In response to these allergens, our noses, eyes and lungs can overreact and make us feel miserable.

While allergies can strike throughout the year, this is prime time for many powerful pollens and allergens, such as grasses, weeds and several types of shrubs and trees. Because of the rain we had earlier this year, this season also has an abundance of certain types of molds, which form in the soil during the rainy season and become airborne in the late summer and fall when the soil dries out.

The onset of allergy symptoms can occur at any time in our lives. Unfortunately, just because you didn’t have allergies last year doesn’t mean you’ll be so lucky this year.

There is no cure for allergies, but allergy sufferers can control or reduce the symptoms by taking some proactive steps.

One way to reduce symptoms is to limit the number of allergens that accumulate in your bed. When you lie on your bed with clothes that have been worn outside, you transfer all the pollen to your bedding. You can limit this problem by changing into pajamas before getting into bed and washing your bedding frequently. This can also reduce exposure to dust mites that thrive in pillows and bedding. Dust mites can cause allergic reactions because our immune systems react to their excretions.

Several allergy medicines, including Benadryl, Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec, work quickly and are often very effective. However, they really only mask symptoms. If these medicines fail to provide relief, there are some preventive nasal sprays, such as the over-the-counter Nasalcrom or FDA-approved nasal cortisone sprays, which keep your body from reacting to allergens.

These sprays are most effective when you use them regularly and at the very first sign of symptoms. However, it’s important to realize that these sprays don’t work immediately; they build resistance to the allergens over time.

If you’ve tried over-the-counter medications that aren’t providing relief, your doctor can help identify your allergies and prescribe appropriate treatments. Skin tests, which involve exposing the skin to allergens and looking for signs of an allergic reaction, are a fast, easy way to identify the causes of allergies. In general, they are less expensive and more accurate than even the newer blood tests.

Once you identify the allergens to which you’re allergic, you and your doctor can focus efforts on preventing or relieving your symptoms.

Allergies can strike at any time, and this year there are even more allergens around than usual. The good news is that you can take action.

Dr. Steven Rubinstein is an allergist at Camino Medical Group, affiliated with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, in Sunnyvale. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation and column editor Arian Dasmalchi provide this monthly column.