Rachel Donald loves spring weather…but not the allergy symptoms that come with it.

"My eyes get red and my nose gets plugged up and then, (I) start sneezing."

The college student is sitting outside in the Sacramento State quad reading a book. Donald is originally from the Bay Area where she says allergies didn't bother her that much.

"When I came up here my allergies got a little bit worse. I think it's because of all the trees, but I don't know."

Trees are a big part of it…says Dr. Mark Grijnsztein, an allergist with Sutter Medical Group in Sacramento. But there's more.

"Besides just having a lot of trees, a lot of it has to do with the wind, the poor air quality and the fact that we're in a valley, all together contributes to the symptoms being bad in this area."

As for what allergy sufferers can expect this spring…Grijnsztein says the outlook isn't good…

"This year will be bad just like the last few springs have been particularly with all this rain."

Tips for fighting allergies include staying stay indoors on windy days and showering often to get pollen out of your skin and hair.