If it were white, it would look like a dusting of snow.
Instead, it’s a flurry of greenish-yellow tree pollen that’s covering cars, roadways, windows and anything else that’s exposed outdoors.
Early spring is when the trees start pollinating — particularly birch, beech, oak and pine, Dr. Paul Mehlhop of The Allergy Center in Greenville said.
He added the pine pollen is what is mainly visible when spring has sprung.
“A lot of times,” he said, “people think automatically that pine is what they’re allergic to.”
But a variety of other trees carry tiny grains that can’t be seen with the naked eye.
But whether it’s visible or not, pollen is a source of disruption in the lives of people who are allergic to it with the resultant seasonal allergic rhinitis, or SAR. And it’s the more numerous microscopic grains that cause the most trouble, Mehlhop said.
“If you have a smaller pollen grain,” he said, “it stays aloft for a longer time.”
Spring’s winds are perfect for tree pollination, and just the vehicle to carry those grains into the nostrils and possibly down into the lungs, if they are small enough.
“Allergies to pollen can trigger asthma,” Mehlhop said, “so asthma is more of a serious problem.”
Dr. Michael Diamond of Kinston Community Health said asthmatics can minimize their reactions to allergens by taking their medications when the pollen count is high, use a HEPA filter in the home and change filters often.
“The best way to treat an asthma attack is to prevent it,” he said.
Melanie Abbott, RN and nursing director at the Lenoir County Health Department, said the typical symptoms of SAR are runny nose, runny and itchy eyes, sneezing, headaches and congestion.
“A lot of people just don’t feel well,” she said, “even if they don’t have those obvious symptoms. They just feel tired and sluggish.”
Over-the-counter remedies include loratadine, cetirizine or fexofenadine. Usually, people find one works better than the others, Mehlhop said.
Diamond said nasal saline rinses — such as in the Neti pot kit — clean out the nose and help break up mucus.
“It’s important to know that you should lean your face forward,” he said about using the rinses.
If symptoms continue, then a doctor can prescribe nose sprays and perform skin tests. If the skin tests are positive, immunotherapy, or allergy injections, can be started. The injections each contain a liquid extract from a common allergen.
“You can have reactions to the allergy injections,” Mehlhop said, “but that probably can be worked around. You gradually build up to the maintenance dose.”
The Centers for Disease Control reports some airborne allergens may become more allergenic with higher temperatures and carbon dioxide levels.
Weather.com forecasts a high pollen count today and Friday until rain comes in Friday night.
Tom Lonka, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Newport, said it will be quite breezy until it rains, with as much as an 80 percent chance of rain.
“It will definitely be blowing about the next couple of days,” he said Wednesday. After the rain stops early Saturday, the weekend is expected to be sunny and not too windy, he added.
Sometimes a hard rain, though, will cause the pollen to burst out after it stops. The tree pollen will continue to blow around, to some extent, until the trees green out, Lonka said.
“Usually, it gets better by the end of April,” he said.
Then the grass pollen takes over in early summer, followed by the ragweed and other weeds in late summer until there is a freeze, Mehlhop said.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
Allergy triggers:
Trees that trigger allergies and pollinate in late winter and spring — Ash, beech, birch, cedar, cottonwood, box, elder, elm, hickory, maple, oak
Grasses that trigger allergies and pollinate in late spring and summer — Kentucky bluegrass, timothy, Johnson, Bermuda, redtop, orchard, rye, sweet vernal grasses
Source: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Pollen advice:
Keep windows and doors closed, and car windows up. Use air-conditioning set on re-circulate, if needed
Avoid using window and attic fans during pollen season
Dry clothing and bedding in the dryer, not outside
Don't allow indoor/outdoor pets in your bedroom
When going outside, minimize pollen exposure
Plan outdoor activities when pollen count is low
Pollen is most widespread in the early morning
Sunglasses can help protect your eyes from pollen
Don’t mow or rake during pollen season. If you must do yard work, protect yourself (Wear NIOSH-approved face mask, hat, glasses, gloves and a long-sleeve shirt)
Vacation where pollen is low, such as the beach, or take your medications with you
Change clothing, shower and wash hair after being outdoors
Source: webmd.com
For information
To track pollen counts, visit weather.com or pollen.com
Pollen.com lists oak, birch and juniper as the top current allergens for the Goldsboro and Greenville areas and oak, poplar and maple for the New Bern area