With the days getting longer and warmer, more people are heading outdoors.

But for many -- like Kristen Stone -- the springtime brings the misery of allergies.

"It's like a haze, like a fog -- like you're walking through life in a fog," she said. "That's when it's mild."

About 30 per cent of Canadians suffer from allergies to things they breathe in. At least half of those are pollen allergies.

One thing that can make allergies worse is pollution.

That's because where there's pollution and smog there's a higher level of carbon dioxide in the air. And plants need carbon dioxide to thrive.

"We are a strong tree pollen area here and grass pollens and we would expect that those plants would also grow well in smoggy, hot environments," says allergist Dr. Ross Chang.

And certain areas of the Lower Mainland are worse than others.

"The Fraser Valley is like a big bowl," he says. "It has high smog levels and it's also an agriculture area -- an area where allergies are very high."

The key is to identify what is triggering your allergies.

"Whether it's pollen, what kind of pollen, whether it's smoggy days," says Dr. Chang.

You can find out the air quality forecast by logging onto Environment Canada's Clean Air website.

And alter your activities to reduce your exposure to allergens, like closing windows while at home or in the car, and leaving the lawn care and gardening to others.

When it comes to treatment, educate yourself about your options.

"Antihistamine medication things like Reactine or Benadryl -- they're very effective for most people's allergies," says Dr. Chang.

"If that doesn't work you can see your family doctor and get prescription allergy medications nasal spray and eye drops to add to the antihistamine medication."

Taking allergy shots is another option for those with more severe allergies.

Kristen now takes regular medications and says it's a small price to pay for being able to enjoy the outdoors with her children

Additional information

You can develop allergies at any time in your life. In the past few weeks I've seen folks who've mistaken their first bout of hay fever with a cold that just won't go away.

How can you tell the difference?

Colds usually clear up after 10 days, whereas allergies can last for weeks. There's usually no fever and there's more sneezing -- where you can sneeze three, four times in a row or more. Your nose and eyes itch and you can have a tickle in your throat that won't go away.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Dr. Rhonda Low