This year’s allergy season expected to pack a punch
Dr. Leonard Bielory, an allergy specialist with the Rutgers Center for Environmental Prediction, said trees are primed to release showers of pollen. (Image courtesy of Bielory)
Lower than normal temperatures have delayed the onset of the allergy season this spring, but that’s about to change.
Dr. Leonard Bielory, an allergy specialist with the Rutgers Center for Environmental Prediction, and tracks the pollen count in New Jersey.
All the snow during the winter provided plenty of nutrients for pollen to build up in trees, he said, and warmer weather will soon cause the pollen count to soar.
“It’s going to go from one to 10 to 100 to 1,000 over a period of four weeks, and even the most mildly allergic individuals are going to feel the pangs of the pollen release,” Bielory said. “You’ll almost see a green powder of pollen release during this period of time.”
While nasal sprays and eye drops can relieve some allergy discomfort, Bielory said you can avoid some problems by not spending a lot of time outside in the early morning and late afternoon when pollen counts will be the highest.
Once warmer weather arrives, and the pollen count increases, rain will provide some short-term relief.
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