Heather Ainsley ECB Publishing, Inc.
If you wake up in the morning with a sore throat and pressure in your sinuses and chest, your first thought might just be that you've caught the dreaded virus responsible for year three of the global pandemic. But before you bar your doors and windows and gear down for yet another personal quarantine, consider the rivers of yellow dust edging every puddle and gracing every car. That's right; it is pollen season! And with all that social distancing, and avoiding crowds in indoor locations, it is likely that you have been spending more time than ever in the great outdoors. Pollen season usually holds off until spring, but here in North Florida, spring comes earlier than the groundhog might suggest, and thanks to our temperate climate, local flora begin producing copious amounts of soft, yellow powder as early as February in some areas. While we may be lucky to see the start of pollen season a little later than that as we trudge steadily through March, it cannot be denied that your recent congestion might just be allergies. The best way to find out for sure is to go get yourself tested for the coronavirus, just to be on the safe side and know what to expect. But if your discomfort does indeed come from this year's pollen boom, here are some things you may want to consider. You may notice a fine layer of yellow dust that seems to be on everything. The minute you get your car out of the car wash, you may notice it is covered again before it even has a chance to dry! This is pollen, and the majority of it comes from trees. Although you may be looking at your local blooming foliage, like azaleas, camilla trees and even magnolias, these “obvious culprits” are not actually the ones who should take most of the blame. The truth is, the big showy blooms that we love for our gardens have their own pollen delivery systems. These plants rely mostly on insects like bees, flies and butterflies to deliver their large, sticky pollen to other plants in order to successfully pollinate. The real culprits are the plants who rely on the thing we love most on a warm spring day: the wind. A huge variety of flowerless trees produce pollen, including pine trees, maple trees, oaks, elms and birch trees. These trees rely on the wind to carry their pollen to other trees to fertilize them and create seeds. Pollen is released in clouds of very fine powder and can travel along the spring breeze for hundreds of miles. The masks that you have been begrudgingly wearing for the last three years during the pandemic can actually help spare you the worst of your pollen reaction, if your reaction comes from breathing in the pollen spores. Pollen particles are larger than virus particles, which means that masks intended to protect you from COVID-19 are also helpful in protecting you from allergens. So the good news is, you likely already have a great tool to help with your allergies. The bad news is that a mask won't be very effective if your allergies are associated with your eyes reacting to the pollen, which isn't as common. Knowing your allergy triggers is an important way to manage your reaction, and plan ahead. Pollen clouds can become much worse in certain conditions, so paying a little attention to the weather conditions can help you know what you can expect with your allergies. A mild, breezy day with a cool evening means that pollen will be traveling from far and wide on those gusts of wind. Rainy days can provide some relief, as the pollen clouds are dampened. You are likely to see puddles with yellow dust around the edges as the pollen dust is washed away with the rain. Beware, though! Powerful storms may bring relieving rain, but strong winds can make allergies much worse, resulting in some cases in what is called “thunderstorm asthma.” Best to stay inside during strong storms. Do you suddenly have a seasonal allergy to your favorite fruits and vegetables? People who suffer nasal allergies from pollen can have a risk of an allergic reaction to fruit or vegetables that have been in contact with that allergen. For example, if you have a strong reaction to pine pollen from the trees in your yard, and you eat a peach or a pear off of an adjacent fruit tree, you could experience a localized allergic reaction of mild itchiness and swelling in your mouth and throat. This is called pollen-food allergy syndrome. Your immune system mistakes the harmless fruit for the pollen you are allergic to. If you experience this reaction, a good precaution you can take to avoid it in the future is to peel your raw fruits and vegetables and cook them before eating. Pollen allergies can look different for everyone, depending on what type of allergy you have. Symptoms can vary from itchy and watery eyes, bags under your eyes, runny nose, sneezing, congestion, coughing fits and sore throat. Pollen allergies can also trigger asthma attacks, which may make breathing very difficult. Over long periods of time, allergies can be draining, making the allergy sufferer feel as if they have had a bad cold or the flu for months without relief. Some ways you can avoid contact with pollen are to change air filters in your home more frequently, limit time outdoors, avoid drying clothing outside on the line, vacuum your house often, shower in the evening to remove any trace pollen that has accumulated on you during the day, and check your local pollen forecast by visiting www.pollen.com or www.weather.com. Consider getting an allergy test done at the doctor's office. This can tell you what specific type of plant you are reacting to, and that can help you avoid allergy triggers. Over the counter allergy medicine can provide great relief for many, but for severe pollen reactions, contact your doctor. One of the best parts of living in rural Florida is the abundance of nature, and the presence of trees, wildlife and unbridled beauty. In a world that seems at times to be riddled with strife, the natural world around us can be emotionally grounding, a beacon of comfort in a chaotic and stressful society. As important as it is to welcome this natural comfort into our day-to-day routine, it is equally important to know our limits, and recognize when we end up with too much of a good thing. And while spring, and its accompanying pollen surge, is only barely underway, knowing when, where and how to manage your seasonal allergies is one more step in the journey to enjoying this beautiful time of year.