RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – If you stepped outside this week, you’ve probably seen pollen everywhere you go.
Whether it’s on your car, bike, the bushes around you or even your shoes, we all know pollen can trigger those seasonal allergies.
“We have been seeing a lot of people with allergies over the last month. It seems like it started a little bit early,” Patient First Dr. Elizabeth Jenkins said.
Jenkins is keeping busy as spring allergies kick off early this spring.
“The minute you start seeing those little buds on your trees, or the yellow stuff on your car, whatever tends to set you off, I usually recommend starting ahead of time before you even get the symptoms. Antihistamines have very few side effects, they’re generally pretty safe, they’re pretty cheap,” Dr. Jenkins said.
According to the CDC, more than a quarter of U.S. adults and children have at least one allergy. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranks Richmond as one of the top 10 most challenging places to live with seasonal allergies.
“I think this is about the peak. When you go down the street and you see clouds and pollen flying off trees, you’re at peak pollen. You can see it on your cars and surfaces. There’s even like a dusty yellow-green on the road. I mean is as bad as it gets,” 12 On Your Side First Alert Meteorologist Andrew Freiden said.
Freiden said seasonal allergies are more intense now because of global warming.
“As we continue to warm the globe, we are seeing winters in particular being shorter and milder and that brings a beginning to the pollen season a little bit earlier. And some studies have shown now you have trees that are producing pollen doing a better job. They’rer more efficient at it, and it can last longer,” Freiden said.
Both Freiden and Dr. Jenkins said aside from taking over-the-counter medicine, there are some ways to get ahead of these allergies.
“Avoiding pollen, so trying not to do your exercising outdoors, wearing a mask if you are outdoors, doing yard work things like that,” Dr. Jenkins said. “Washing pollen off if you’ve been out cutting the grass. You can also do saline rinses to wash your sinuses out. “
All of this pollen out here is not going anywhere in the near future, as we expect even warmer temperatures next week.
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