It's allergy season - that time of year when itchy and watery eyes, congestion and sneezing are especially cumbersome.
And if seasonal allergies are making you want to spend more time indoors, you're not alone. As of late Monday, pollen levels were "high" in parts of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, according to Pollen.com. DeKalb and Sycamore had among the highest readings in the region - with both reporting 10.1.
Several Northwest Indiana communities, such as Valparaiso, Portage and La Porte, also reported the same count.
However, the remainder of the Chicago area was said to be in the "medium-high" range, with levels measuring between 7.3 and 9.6.
You can check pollen levels in your community here.
According to Loyola Medicine, spring is notorious for high levels of tree pollen, which is one of the first major triggers for seasonal allergy sufferers.
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"As temperatures rise, these trees begin to release pollen into the air, often starting as early as February in some areas and lasting until late spring," according to a post on its website.
Want to keep track of pollen levels on a regular basis?
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Loyola Medicine's Allergy Count is updated each weekday morning during allergy season by allergist Dr. Rachna Shah, a post on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, explained.
According to the daily count, the levels as of Monday were reported to be:
Trees: high - Primary: pine
Grass: low
Ragweed: absent
Weeds: absent
Mold: high
Monday's count stood out for one particular reason.
"The Pine count was so high today, that it was visible as 2 stripes on the slide without a stain," Loyola's post read. "It created a bright yellow/green color in person."
