Conditions ripe for lots of ragweed,pollen, lots of sniffles and sneezes WEST MILFORD 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. “It will be a longer season and you will have more pollen than in previous years,” said Dr. Leonard Bielory, director of the Asthma and Allergy Research Center at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. “The crop is very robust.” He said the ragweed season likely will peak in the next three weeks and will be “a heck of a lot more intense” than normal, then will continue until the first frost. Some allergy medicines take a few days to be fully effective, so delaying the start of medication makes it more difficult to get symptoms under control and can sometimes lead to sinus infections, even asthma attacks. Doctors advise allergy sufferers take measures that will limit their exposure to pollen, such as keeping windows closed and using air conditioning. The culprit is a hardy and widespread plant often found beside roadways and farm fields. Ragweed plants, which are topped by spikes of greenish-yellow flowers, can range in height from a few inches to more than 12 feet. That size helps them compete with other plants for soil nutrients and sunlight. Some tips for ragweed sufferers: Limit time outdoors, particularly between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., when pollen levels usually are highest. Avoid yard work; wear goggles and a dust mask if necessary. Keep windows up; use air conditioners and air purifiers at home and in the car. Use a clothes dryer; don’t hang laundry outside. Shower or change clothes after spending time outdoors to avoid tracking pollen through your home. Wipe pets’ fur to remove pollen before bedtime. If you wear contact lenses, switch to one-day disposable ones or wear glasses during peak ragweed season. Try over-the-counter antihistamines and eye drops for minor problems; for serious allergies, visit a doctor to get prescription medicines from pills to steroid nasal sprays. Avoid honeydew, cantaloupe, bananas and chamomile, which can exacerbate ragweed allergies in some people.