Allergy season starts earlier and lasts longer, experts say
If your allergies have been escalating more than usual, you’re not alone.
Americans are being struck down by a pollen bomb that has hit earlier and harder than usual.
A mild winter has caused trees to shed pollen prematurely, with the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast regions being hardest hit.
This year, Atlanta, Georgia, recorded its first ‘extremely high’ pollen count on March 6, ten days earlier than the previous record.
DailyMail.com spoke to three experts about how to protect yourself against the pollen attack above.
The graphic above shows the six tips recommended by experts to help protect against allergies this spring. The season comes earlier than usual
The map above shows the leaf index for the entire United States through March 7, 2023. Red indicates earlier than normal blooming, while blue indicates later than normal blooming. Data shows that across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States this is earlier than normal
Estimates suggest that up to 67 million Americans have a pollen allergy, including 14 million children.
Some 25 million also have asthma, which can be triggered or worsened by pollen.
Experts say that asthma attacks start to increase in the spring.
They are worse at Easter when the pollen release from the trees overlaps with the pollen released by the grass.
Closing windows can keep pollen out of your home or car.
close your windows
Although the weather is coming up, experts recommend that allergy sufferers resist the temptation to open the windows.
Dr. Clifford Bassett, medical director of Asthma and Allergy Care of New York, said this would keep pollen out of the house or car.
He told DailyMail.com: “At home or while driving, keep windows closed and put air conditioning on ‘recirculation’ to keep pollen out.”
Windows act as a barrier to pollen entering the home or vehicle, creating a kind of ‘safe zone’ for the sick.
Dr. Bassett, who is also a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, said that to stay cool, people should use their air conditioner, but be sure to clean the filters recently for best effects.
He said they shouldn’t use fans because they can suck outdoor pollen into the living space.
Dr. Robert McDermott, a Colorado-based allergist who is also part of the AllerVie Health Network, cautioned that it was particularly important to keep bedroom windows closed.
“This is so we’re not exposed to pollen while we sleep,” he told DailyMail.com.
Experts recommend avoiding this because pollen gets on your clothes.
Do not dry clothes in the open air.
Many of us hang clothes outside in the warmer months instead of piling them up in the laundry room.
But Dr. Lewis Ziska, a public health expert at Columbia University in New York, warned allergy sufferers against it.
“I myself suffer from asthma that is seasonally induced,” he told DailyMail.com.
To help avoid any reaction: “I don’t hang my clothes to dry on days when there is a lot of pollen in the air.”
Clothing can become coated with pollen granules released by plants, irritating wearers when it reaches the lungs.
This can lead to endless misery for patients, whether it’s from sheets, t-shirts or towels that have turned to pellets.
take a shower when you come in
One of the best ways to keep pollen out of the house is to wash it regularly.
Dr. Ziska recommended showering going into warmer days.
This would remove any pollen you may have unknowingly brought in and send it straight down the drain.
While you are outside, microscopic pollen granules can attach to your body in your hair or on the fibers of your clothing and then inadvertently make their way inside.
To further limit risk, Dr. Ziska also recommended dusting clothing before going inside to further protect against pollen.
Track pollen counts
All three experts DailyMail.com spoke to urged people to keep an eye on pollen levels in their area.
This would allow them to take steps to protect themselves, they said, and ensure they are well-stocked with medicine.
Dr. Bassett recommended that people keep track of pollen counts through the National Office of Allergy of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
This uses more than 50 counting stations across the country to monitor pollen and mold levels. Inform allergy sufferers of the risks.
Other ways to monitor include through the National Phenology Network, which also monitors pollen counts.
Inhalers can help when you have an allergic reaction to pollen
carry an inhaler
All the experts also recommended that allergy sufferers carry an inhaler with them.
Pollen allergies are caused by an overreaction of the immune system to a harmless substance, in this case, pollen.
It triggers inflammation that causes the airways to constrict, restricting airflow, and can even cause a wave of mucus that can block the airway.
To calm this reaction, patients are told to take inhalers. It is best to always have one, since it is not clear when allergies can appear.
These usually contain albuterol, a drug that binds to receptors in the muscles of the airways, causing them to relax and slack.
Others may also be offered levalbuterol inhalers, which work in the same way as albuterol.
There are concerns about a shortage of albuterol for hospitals at present, but experts say this should not affect supplies for inhalers.
If you have a pollen allergy, it’s best to avoid going outside when it’s dry and windy, experts say. But it can be better when it is wet, rainy and calm.
Do not go outside when it is dry and windy.
The weather is a key factor in the amount of pollen that can be lurking in the air.
Dr. Ziska warned against going outside when it was dry and windy, saying it was “very good” to stay inside.
By this time, the winds have likely picked up a large amount of pollen that could then be inhaled by sufferers, causing a reaction.
Dr. Bassett echoed the advice, saying it’s best for sufferers to go outside on humid, rainy, calm days, since that’s when there’s less pollen in the air.
When asked if there was a particular time of day that an allergy sufferer shouldn’t go outside, the experts refuted the suggestion.
Dr Bassett said: ‘Well, they used to say early in the day and late afternoon was worse for allergy sufferers, but I think that’s untrue.
“If you’re someone who has a history of pollen allergies, you should use something like a simple weather report and pollen count.”
There are some suggestions that green tea can relieve allergies.
Is there a place for green tea?
Among other suggestions to control asthma was drinking green tea.
Experts said there was some evidence that this might help reduce allergy symptoms.
But this has not been supported by large-scale scientific studies.
Dr Bassett said: “Studies from Japan support the use of certain green teas that may help reduce seasonal allergy symptoms, at least to pollen from some trees, such as cedar.”
Experts suggest that green tea may protect against allergies because it contains quercetin, an anti-inflammatory compound.
It also contains the compound epigallocatechin gallate (ECHG), which may help block receptors involved in an inflammatory reaction.