+Brutal Hayfever Season Predicted+

Trenton, NJ - Hay fever sufferers: Grab the tissues and start taking your allergy medicine. You're in for a long, brutal season of sneezing, congestion, scratchy throat and irritated eyes, allergy specialists say.

The season started this week, a little earlier than usual. It promises to be intense, with ideal conditions for proliferation of ragweed, the cause of hay fever at this time of year, experts say. New Jersey and surrounding areas have had heavy rains, followed by very hot, dry weather and now the cool nights that prepare the weeds to release their built-up pollen grains.

Dr. Tom Selvaggi, a Hackensack allergy specialist, also expects "pretty prolific'' ragweed pollen until around Labor Day coming after one of the worst spring allergy seasons in the last decade. "Patients who know they have ragweed allergies should start their medications now," he said. "They shouldn't wait till the last minute."

They also advises that allergy patients who wear contact lenses to wear them less or use one-day disposable contacts to avoid buildup of pollen on the lenses, which can lead to chronic irritation and other eye problems.