If you’re an allergy sufferer, local allergy forecasts and other information are available online to give some of the most current information for the local area and other parts of the country.

By going to pollen.com, the national allergy forecast and information about allergies, people can view a National Allergy Map. Those using it can click on the map to zoom in and explore regions, states and cities. There’s also a five-day allergy forecast and current allergy report for Minot and other areas.

At The Weather Channel weather.com people can sign up for pollen alerts that will be sent to their email or phone. To find the allergy information at The Weather Channel’s website go to “Health” and then to “Allergy Tracker.” There’s a daily map of grass pollen, breathing index and mold spores as well as a four-day outlook with dials displaying the main allergy trigger of the day. A tree pollen map is also at the site.

Other sites with information include Weather Underground at wunderground.com/displaypollen. There viewers can find a pollen index and forecasts.

Weatherbug.com has local allergy forecasts and pollen count reports.

Some of the sites also have allergy stories.

Dr. Michael Reder, an allergist and immunologist with Trinity Health in Minot, said in the recent “Vim & Vigor,” a Trinity Health publication, that during the fall season, weed pollens and mold spores are usually the major problems. These produce huge quantities of pollen and spores that are carried by the wind many miles, he said.

Fall, or autumn, will begin Thursday, Sept. 22 and ends Tuesday, Dec. 20. That’s the astronomical fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

If a person is an allergy sufferer, he said ways to get some relief is to take avoidance measures. There’s also medications and allergy shots or immunotherapy. He suggests taking off shoes in the house, changing clothes after raking leaves, keeping the windows closed and using HEPA air filters at home and work.

Many over-the-counter medications are available and there are also prescription medications. Allergy shots are the final piece of the treatment and the most powerful way to improve symptoms, Reder said.

The first step anyone who suffers from fall allergy symptoms should take is to see see an allergist who can provide a treatment plan, Reder said.