Gastonia’s parks and green spaces make it easy to enjoy the outdoors, whether you’re walking the trails at Rankin Lake Park, exploring the wooded edges of Crowders Mountain State Park, or spending an afternoon along the Avon/Catawba Creek Greenway. But with beautiful scenery often comes thick brush and that means a higher chance of running into poison ivy, oak, or sumac. These plants contain urushiol, an oil that can trigger a red ...
If you’re dealing with congestion, a runny nose, or nonstop sneezing in Gastonia, it’s easy to assume seasonal allergies are to blame, especially when pollen counts are high. And in many cases, they are. But because seasonal allergies and viral infections like COVID-19 can share similar early symptoms, it’s not always straightforward to tell what’s going on. Understanding the difference can help you decide whether to manage symptoms at home or ...
