BLAME IT ON THE RAIN: ALLERGIES OFF, RUNNING.

Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer

Blame it on the weather: Warm, windy days interrupted by rainstorms and you have ideal conditions for mold and pollen that will leave allergy sufferers with lots of itches, headaches and runny noses this spring, doctors warned Wednesday.

Southern California's allergy season generally runs from March through November, and allergy specialists always expect to see an influx of suffering patients around this time. This year, however, Los Angeles has received 15.33 inches of rain - an inch more than normal and nearly 11 inches more than last year - meaning greener grasses, full-flowering plants and lots of pollen.

``It seems to be worse this year. I'm constantly clearing my throat and probably irritating everyone around me,'' said Rose Mataja, 53, who sought stronger allergy medication this week from Dr. Jacob Offenberger, a Granada Hills allergist.

Offenberger usually sees an upswing in patient calls after the start of spring, but figures the high pollen count this year, plus more frequent windy days, have led to a roughly 15 percent increase in patients complaining of itchy eyes and congestion.

``I can feel it. My nose is dripping,'' said Eleanor Engle, 65, of Burbank. ``Everything is in bloom now, there are so many things blowing. I should have been here last week.''

And with another storm expected to drop as much as a half-inch of rain today, pollen counts are expected to spike beginning Friday and Saturday, resulting in severe symptoms for many allergy sufferers.

``I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of problems next week,'' said Dr. George Guerra, an allergist with Kaiser Permanente in Woodland Hills.

Painful, yes. And those symptoms lead to bigger problems for asthma sufferers.

``The most important thing for people to remember is when they hear it's going to be a windy day, don't forget the rescue inhaler,'' Offenberger warned. ``Just running from the car to the building can trigger an attack.''

Of course, symptoms vary depending on the allergy, doctors said. Someone who is allergic to mold might feel worse right before it rains. Mold responds to changes in barometric pressure and can release its spores into the air in anticipation of the rain, Guerra said. But a person with a pollen allergy could be sniffling in misery the day after a rainstorm because pollen swells with moisture, ruptures and spews microscopic pollen granules that are more easily inhaled into the airways, Guerra said.

While allergy shots are available for those with severe allergies, doctors advise a good over-the-counter antihistamine and decongestant to fight the standard symptoms of seasonal allergies.

``An allergy today is a treatable condition,'' Offenberger said. ``We don't tell people anymore to tough it out with allergies.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Medical assistant Roslyn Barron gives an allergy shot to a patient at Dr. Jacob Offenberger's office in Granada Hills. The recent changes in the weather have become a problem for allergy sufferers.

(2) Granada Hills allergist Dr. Jacob Offenberger examines patient Rose Mataja's throat. The Malibu resident showed symptoms of new allergies prior to her office visit. The recent changes in the weather have left allergy sufferers with lots of itches, headaches and runny noses this spring.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer