Spring is in the air... and so is pollen. On the ground, on the hood of your car, and even the bench in the park are covered in pollen nowadays.

"We are so short on rain. we have nothing to wash the pollen away," says Dr. Shih-wen Huang who leads the allergy clinic at Shands of Uf.

And it's not just the weather, doctors say its all about location, location, location.

"We are in the warm humid environment which doesn't help much," he says.

When 15 year old Eryck Lockyer moved to Hawthorne from Iowa about four years ago, he noticed some big changes in his allergies.

"I've been congested, runny nose, sneezing, and every once in a while i get a bad headache," says Eryck Lockyer.

And Lockyer isn't the only one. Allergies are common for anyone between the ages of five and fifty. And those who are 20 to 35 often have a tougher time.

"That's the age most people are studying hard or working hard to establish themselves," says Dr. Huang.

Dr. Huang says making a few adjustments in your lifestyle can make a big difference.

"You have to maintain a high level of personal hygiene and try to cut down on outdoor activity, " he says.

But it's not cheap. Lockyer's mom has spent over five thousand dollars over the years helping him with cope with his allergies.

"Higher electric bills because we're running the air conditioning constantly," says Tracy Hurd.

Dr. Huang says everyone's allergies are different. which is why there are a variety of treatment options.

"prevention and avoidance is by far the best treatment," he says.

But Dr. Huang says there is one thing that is guaranteed to help us all.

"I would talk to the weather man about this. the sooner we get the rain the better," he says.

Something allergy sufferers like Eryck Lockyer can only hope for.

Allergy season in North Central Florida peaks from now until the end of summer.