Pollen counts are lower in the mornings, so he recommends people travel outdoors early in the day, rather than later. If a person is not self-conscious, they could wear a mask when traveling outdoors, according to Wickern.

Other avoidance strategies include showering before bedtime and keeping the windows closed. If a person is allergic to animals, avoiding those animals is good practice, Wickern said.

From his perspective, what people are allergic to, and when they develop symptoms, is something that is genetically encoded. Some people have higher tolerances for allergens than other, and don't exhibit symptoms until later in life, he said.

Signs of allergies include itching eyes and skin or a runny nose. Signs of asthma include coughing, but not always a wheeze, according to Wickern.

Earlier this year, Michelle Hofmann's 4-year-old son began to develop asthma. He would get tired and struggle breathing while doing things such as running to the end of the block with his father.

Hofmann said her struggle is to try and avoid things that cause her son's symptoms, but to also allow him to be a normal child.

"It's hard to keep a 4-year-old inside all of the day in the summer," said Hofmann, a physician at Primary Children's and co-founder of Utah Moms for Clean Air. "I feel fortunate that I understand how to treat it and I can understand the symptoms, but I have to say, I was seriously bummed when we found out. I feel bad for him."

From her position, poor air quality is something associated with her son's asthma.

Other physicians believe diet, environmental toxins and the general emotional well-being of a person can contribute to allergies and asthma. Their approach is to treat a person with herbs, vitamins and other natural remedies such as a change in diet, but it's not recommended by conventional medical doctors as something that works.

Dr. Todd Cameron, a naturopathic physician in Sugar House, said he believes there are fundamental things a person can do to treat any aliment, starting with an assessment of mental and emotional well-being, nutrition and hormonal balancing. With allergies, he encourages a person to thoroughly clean their house and then try and diminish the level of their allergic response.

Some remedies he uses include increasing a person's level of vitamin C. He also asks people to eliminate pasteurized dairy products from their diet to see if it helps.

"What we do know is that by following the yellow brick road and decreasing load exposure (to allergens and toxins), how could a person not get better," Dr. Cameron said. "Whether you're 9 or 90, you can always improve your situation from where you are now."