Itchy eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat: Spring allergy season in the Chicago area has arrived. But unlike past years, some people have already been experiencing symptoms for months.
According to allergists with the American Lung Association, climate change is impacting pollen counts across the country. On top of that, air pollution and temperature changes are also affecting patients young and old, including first-time allergy sufferers.
To minimize your exposure to seasonal allergies, health experts recommending keeping your windows closed, consider investing in an air purifier, or speaking to your doctor about about allergy medication.
However, some say the best thing to do for allergies is to simply avoid them. One way to do that is by keeping track of Chicago's pollen count.
Loyola Medicine's Allergy Count is updated each weekday morning during allergy season by allergist Dr. Rachna Shah, according to the Twitter account.
"Pollen samples are gathered every weekday morning (during allergy season, March to October) from the roof of the Gottlieb Professional Building" in Melrose Park, the website says. "Pollen grains and spores are collected from a cubic meter sample of air and counted under a microscope."
"Besides appearing on our website, the counts are also available each morning by 7:30 am on a telephone hotline: 1-866-4-POLLEN," the school adds.
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According to the site, pollen from trees and mold peak in April. Here's a detailed breakdown of the the peak season for the four sources the school tracks:
Grass: May to June
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Trees: March to May
Weed and Ragweed: Mid-August to first freeze
Mold: Spring and fall (damp condition)
The latest count, taken Wednesday morning, shows a "moderate" count for trees, grass and mold.
Loyola Medicine ranks the counts from low to high risk, followed by "Alert." When an allergen is marked as "Alert," those sensitive are advised to stay indoors.
"Allergies are inherited. People inherit the ability to be allergic, but they don't exactly inherit what they're allergic to," said Dr. Richard Wasserman, medical director of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas, Texas. "So, people who have one parent with allergies have about a 50% likelihood of developing allergies. If both parents have an allergic disease, it's about 80%."
Seasonal allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, is usually triggered by outdoor allergens such as pollen and mold spores.
"Rose fever, hay fever are, kind of, colloquial names for allergy. Hay fever is probably mostly caused by mold," said Wasserman. "Mold is another thing that people get allergic to. Mold likes to grow in moist environments like haystacks or barns, so that's the association there."
According to Mayo Clinic, these are the most common seasonal allergy symptoms:
- Sneezing
- Itching of the nose, eyes or roof of the mouth
- Runny, stuffy nose
- Watery, red or swollen eyes (conjunctivitis)
