With temperatures warming, allergy season is underway in Louisiana and experts are offering tips on how to cope.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranks New Orleans as the second-worst city for allergies in the nation, based on pollen scores for trees, grass and weeds along with above-average use of over-the-counter allergy medications. Research shows climate change is lengthening pollen season as it starts earlier and lasts longer compared with 30 years ago.

Dr. Sanjay Kamboj, associate professor of medicine at Louisiana State University, said the mild winters in Louisiana get things going early.

"We start seeing tree pollen at the end of January or early February," Kamboj pointed out. "We start seeing tree pollen early, then the grass pollen starts early. And same thing in summer, we still have tree pollen. There are a lot of grass pollens, and ragweed starts early and goes longer, so we have longer pollen duration every year."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates pollen-related medical expenses cost more than $3 billion a year, with about half spent on prescription medications.

Experts recommend avoidance as a first line of defense against seasonal allergies including keeping windows closed, staying indoors when pollen counts are high, changing clothes and taking a shower after being outdoors. Kamboj noted when pollen counts are high, adults and kids can have the same symptoms.

"They can have itchy and watery eyes, itchy nose, congestion in the nose, runny nose, post-nasal drip," Kamboj outlined. "Sometimes people can have itching in the skin. People who have underlying asthma, their asthma can worsen during those high pollen seasons."

More than 60 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. Treatments range from nasal irrigation with saline to rinse irritants out of nasal passages, to antihistamines in nasal spray or pill form. Immunotherapy, which can change the body's immune response to allergens, include allergy shots and in recent years the Food and Drug Administration has approved sublingual tablets to treat reactions to grass pollen, ragweed and dust mites.

Dr. Gregory Carnevale, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare, said to check with your doctor to keep up with the latest treatments.

"One of the values of seeing a health care professional is some of these newer medications can oftentimes have less side effects," Carnevale explained.

You can keep track of the pollen count in your area at pollen.com.

Florida's new law banning fluoride in public water systems has drawn sharp criticism from dental professionals, who cite decades of evidence supporting its safety and effectiveness in preventing tooth decay.

Dr. Jeff Ottley, president of the Florida Dental Association, warned that the change will lead to a rise in cavities, particularly among children and underserved populations.

"Over the next two to three years, we will see an increase in the number of cavities, particularly in children and older adults who take multiple medications, which cause dry mouth," he said. "Those older adults will start getting cavities along the roof surfaces of their teeth and under existing restorations, like crowns and fillings."

Backers of the ban, including libertarian groups and some GOP legislators, have argued that "fluoride is a choice" and have recommended topical treatments, such as toothpaste, over what they claimed to be "mass medication."

Ottley stressed that fluoride occurs naturally in water, and the ban eliminates adjustments that allow cities to reach optimal levels for dental health.

He also predicted severe consequences, especially for Florida's Medicaid system and rural communities.

"The Medicaid system in Florida already has the lowest reimbursement rate across the country," he said, "and so you're going to have an influx in the number of kids looking, and parents looking to treat their kids who are on Medicaid, and the providers just aren't going to be there."

Ottley warned that higher Medicaid payments will be needed to attract dental-care providers, which he said could lead to ballooning costs.

His interim advice for parents: Seek prescription fluoride vitamins, and everyone should maintain rigorous brushing and flossing routines, cut their sugar intake and avoid post-brushing snacks before bed.


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California lawmakers are considering a bill to ease regulations on birth centers at a time when maternity wards are closing in many counties. Assembly Bill 55 would streamline the licensure process, which allows a birth center to accept Medi-Cal, making midwifery care available to low-income families.

Sandra Poole, health policy advocate with the Western Center on Law and Poverty, said the bill would also no longer require a birthing center to be within 30 minutes of a hospital but instead rely on a transfer plan to address potential emergencies.

"Of course, if you're in an area where the labor and delivery has closed, that's going to be impossible," she explained. "There are 12 counties in the State of California that have absolutely no labor and delivery wards at all in the county."

Birth centers are non-hospital, homelike facilities for low-risk pregnancies. At least 40% of California's birth centers have closed since 2020, and just four of the 37 remaining centers are licensed, because the current licensing process is unnecessarily burdensome, according to a study published today by the Western Center on Law and Poverty, in partnership with the California Black Women's Health Project and the Black Women for Wellness Action Project.

The study also surveyed patients on the merits of birth centers. Holly Drayton is a mother and former doula from the Santa Barbara area.

"For people to have that option would really give them the opportunity to choose the birth that they want in an environment where they do feel comfortable to labor in the way that they're supported, to make it the best possible outcome," Drayton said.

Sarah Archer, a mother who supports birth centers, said they are an important part of the state's health care system, and are proved to reduce pre-term births.

"People deserve choices in the way they want to give birth, not just in a sterile hospital," she explained. "It's a very safe, very quiet, beautiful, serene environment versus a medical setting."

The bill has passed the State Assembly and is now before the Senate Health Committee.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said the first positive test for West Nile virus in 2025 has been detected in Winnebago County near Rockford.

Health officials warned people in the infected area and elsewhere to take precautions to avoid the mosquito-borne disease, which is expected to spread across the state. Last year, Illinois reported 69 cases of West Nile, with 13 reported human deaths.

Sameer Vohra, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said evidence of the disease usually emerges this time of year.

"In Illinois, we typically see the first environmental positive test for West Nile in mid- to late May," Vohra explained. "Mosquitoes typically emerge in the spring and are active until the first hard frost of the year."

Vohra noted West Nile virus is an endemic disease in Illinois, meaning it is commonly found in the state. Public health officials are highlighting the importance of taking action to "Fight the Bite" during National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, which runs from June 18-24.

Vohra pointed out most people who are bitten by infected mosquitoes do not contract the disease but one in five will show symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to a serious and possibly fatal illness.

"Right now, there's no treatment for West Nile virus," Vohra emphasized. "But supportive care is really important, especially if you're developing symptoms or you're that one of 150 people that can develop severe illness."

Public health officials have advised Illinoisians to wear long sleeves and pants outdoors, use Environmental Protection Agency-approved insect repellent and stay indoors during peak mosquito hours at dawn and dusk. They also recommend trying to keep mosquitoes from breeding.

"One way to do that is to dump any standing water," Vohra advised. "Examples of that include flowerpots, children's toys, pet bowls, bird baths, buckets, used tires, abandoned swimming pools, any place where you can get standing water."


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