For some people, fall allergy season, with its primary culprits, ragweed and mold, is worse than spring. And with a warm year, we're expecting a bumper crop of ragweed.

The warm days and cooling nights of August in New England releases ragweed pollen, and the effects linger through September and October.

According to Asthma and Allergy Physicians of RI (AAPRI), here are some tips for managing fall allergies:

- Check pollen levels. To check levels by region, www.pollen.com is a great resource.

- Wear protective clothing and a mask. How convenient, you're already wearing a mask.

- Avoid hanging clothes outdoors to dry, where they’ll collect pollen and mold.

- If you have a severe mold allergy, avoid yard work altogether; don’t rake leaves or work with hay or mulch.

- Time your workouts. Exercising earlier in the day before the winds pick up is a great strategy.

- In your home, use a dehumidifier and an air conditioner with a HEPA filter.

 - When driving, keep your car windows rolled up and the air conditioner on.

- Take your medication as prescribed.

- Shower off the pollen after doing yard work, and leave your shoes at the door.

- Eat healthy.

- Use a nasal rinse.

- Drink more water, juice, or other non-alcoholic drinks. The steam from hot fluids also have added benefits.

- Keep your home clean but avoid harsh chemicals.

- Inhale some steam and breathe easier.

- Consider acupuncture; studies show that it may help. Ask your doctor if it might help you.

- For ragweed allergy sufferers, avoid bananas, melon, zucchini, sunflower seeds, cucumber, chamomile tea and honey as they can also cause symptoms.

Complicating 2020's allergy season is the fact that many symptoms mimic COVID-19 symptoms, a disease about which much is still not known. With a variety of both symptoms and their severity, and the knowledge that even asymptomatic people can pass along COVID-19 to those vulnerable to life-threatening complications, the Rhode Island Department of Health is recommending anyone showing any possible COVID-19 symptoms get tested. According to the CDC, potential symptoms shared by both conditions include fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, congestion or runny nose, sore throat and headache. To calm your jitters (or not) while awaiting test results, know that itchy watery eyes and sneezing or not symptomms of COVID-19 — and fever, chills, aches, nausea, and loss of taste and smell are not symptoms of fall allergies.