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Jed Boal ReportingIf spring pollen has you sniffing and sneezing up a storm, you're not alone. It's a beautiful time of year in Utah, but trees are producing a lot of pollen and a warm, windy, dry day is the worst scenario for allergy sufferers.
Spring's a spectacular season. The wet weather pattern finally broke, but that brought a burst of pollen.
Dr. Alan Bitner, Intermountain Allergy and Asthma Clinic: "Out of every week, three or four days of bad weather, then three or four days of good weather. The trees have pollinated a lot then stopped. There hasn't been a sustained period of time until now."
So, what's bugging you today? Mulberry and Cedar are extremely high, so is Sycamore. Different pollens plague different people in the months ahead. What makes you sneeze today may be gone next week and another pollen will be wafting in the wind.
Trees usually pollinate between February and May. Those are the allergens in the air right now. Grasses pollinate from May to July and afflict many of us for weeks on end. Weeds like ragweed and Goldenrod pollinate from July all the way until the first frost.
Dr. Alan Bitner: "The problem with grass pollen is that it's a very potent pollen, so even though the levels of grass pollen may be somewhat lower than trees, it's a lot more of an allergen than the tree pollen is."
The pollen count rises during extended warm, dry periods like we're having right now. It drops when it is rainy and damp. The pollen count also spikes when winds blow through the state.
Unfortunately, there are no new prescription or over-the-counter allergy medications this year. So whatever worked best in the past will have to work again this year.
