Spring is just around the corner, which means you should already be taking your usual seasonal allergy medicines, experts say.

If you feel like your seasonal allergy symptoms are getting worse every year, you’re not imaging it.

Compared to 1970, pollen season starts 20 days earlier, concentration is 21% higher, and the pollen that’s out there is even more potent, NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar explained on a March 11, 2026, segment on TODAY.

Those changes are primarily due to climate change, Azar said, because warmer, wetter winters make for more severe spring allergy seasons.

That means your usual allergy medications need to work even harder to keep your symptoms under control. So it pays to be strategic about how and when you take them to get the best results.

Expert Tip of the Day: Take Your Allergy Medications at the Right Time

To get the most out of your antihistamine allergy medications, you should take them at the right time of day for your symptoms. For many people, the best time to take them is at night before bed.

Most people feel their most severe allergy symptoms — congestion, itchy eyes, sneezing, headache — in the morning, TODAY.com reported previously.

So it makes sense to take your antihistamines before your symptoms reach that peak, which means taking them the night before.

Why It Matters

“People typically feel like their allergies are better during the middle of the day,” allergist Dr. Sandra Hong told the Cleveland Clinic. “Mornings and evenings can feel worse for many people with allergies.”

But allergy medications take a little while to work. That means you should take them at least a few hours before your symptoms are at their worst.

If your allergy symptoms are most severe in the early morning hours (as they are for many people), you should take your antihistamines before you go to bed, MedlinePlus explains.

Some older antihistamines (such as Benadryl) also list drowsiness as a potential side effect, so taking them at night makes more sense and helps you avoid feeling extra sleepy during the day. Newer antihistamines (including Zyrtec, Claritin and Xyzal) tend to cause much less drowsiness, so this isn’t as much of a concern with those medicines.

On the other hand, if you feel like your allergy symptoms are at their worst in the evening, taking your medications earlier in the day will be more effective.

With steroid sprays, such as Flonase, the effects build over time, TODAY.com explained previously. So, as long as you use it consistently every day, it doesn’t matter as much whether you take it in the morning or night.

How to Get Started

“Before you even get to medications, there are things that you can do at home starting today (to treat allergy symptoms),” Azar says.

Think about how you can prevent pollen from getting into your home. For example:

Keep your windows closed.Take off your shoes as soon as you get home.Wipe down your pets after you take them for a walk outside.

And before going outside, take note of the pollen count so you can plan accordingly. If the pollen count is especially high on a particular day, stay indoors as much as you can, Azar recommended.

Wearing a mask, hat and sunglasses while outdoors will also prevent you from inhaling pollen or getting it in your mouth or eyes, she added.

And if you haven’t started taking your allergy medications already, you should do so ASAP.

“Allergy season starts around Valentine’s Day, so we’re already a couple of weeks in,” Azar said. “We recommend that people start taking their allergy medicines a couple of weeks before allergy season even starts.”

That includes oral antihistamines, as well as nasal corticosteroid sprays, such as Flonase. “You should already be doing those every single day,” Azar said.

TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.