News | March 8th, 2018

Tree pollen season brings severe allergies

By: journeymagazine

By| Daria Laycock

An early dusting of pollen is causing allergies to flare in the North Florida area.

Oak trees in conjunction with an unseasonably warm February triggered the the event. Heavy wind, like that from the nor’easter traveling the country’s east coast, exasperate allergies as the gusts allow pollen to travel more easily according to a 20018 Allure article.

This has caused a rash of severe allergies.

Those who suffer from tree pollen allergies experience watery eyes, nasal congestion and cough.

A stuffy head and irritated sinuses are only some of the symptoms that plague Amara Johnson, Tallahassee native and allergy sufferer.

I get bags under my eyes from them being so swollen. My nose was so clogged it hurt every time I sneezed,” she explained. “The pressure hurt my face.”

These symptoms are easily treated if encountered. Rosalyn Gardner, a registered nurse, advises that those who face the seasonal illness try over the counter medicine or simply avoid the outdoors.

“We’ve been seeing a lot of allergies lately, drippy noses, raw throats, all of it.,” she said.

“You can take something over the counter antihistamines work. Most pharmacies offer a generic allergy medicine….if you really want to feel better you should really just stay inside”

While some associate the pollen with itchy eyes and scratchy throats others equate it to chipped paint. According to Mateo De Jesus, a worker at a local car wash.

“You gotta wash that mess off quick,” he said “ You get a nice thick layer and some rain it’ll wash away the sealant.”

The powder not only turns cars yellow but can be damaging to a vehicle’s paint.

Mallory Sampson, an FSU student,  believes that the golden particles are having an effect on the color of her car.

“Well I came to get a car wash from all the pollen but the more I look at my car the more it looks like it stained yellow,” she said.  

The pollen is here to stay. According to data from weather.com pollen levels in Tallahassee are will range from high to very  high for the next week.

Allergies can be triggered by a number of allergens throughout the year however pollen is among the most common. Tree pollen is most prominent from may December through May, the Miami Herald reports.

In the summer months following tree pollen season sufferers will have to battle with grass pollen which produces many of the same symptoms.