Stock up on tissues:
The wet winter has given Arizona’s wildflowers and other plants a head start this year — and that means added misery for allergy sufferers. As things warm up this week, expect a burst of pollen in the air.
Wet winter feeds a profusion of wildflowers ...
In parts of the Sonoran Desert, the results of this winter’s heavy rains are beginning to make their presence known. That includes Mexican gold poppies, which were spotted blooming beneath a cloudy sky off the Bush Highway, in the Tonto National Forest north of Saguaro Lake, on Sunday. In the Phoenix area, Lake Pleasant Regional Park, White Tank Mountain Regional Park and Lost Dutchman State Park are good places to see the poppies, according to online wildflower trackers. Also keep an eye out for lupines — purple flowers that often bloom in the same areas as poppies.
... but also means more sniffling and sneezing
Seasonal allergy sufferers should try to enjoy the respite brought on by the rain last Monday and Tuesday, because it won’t last long.
In fact, the watery eyes, sneezing, runny noses and other symptoms are expected to just get worse.
The Valley is in the midst of the latewinter and early-spring allergy season. The relatively warm, wet conditions in late January and February are good for trees and flowers, but they lead to lots of pollen in the air. Rainstorms, such those on the last two days of February, scrub the air clean of pollen. But that’s temporary.
Dr. Mark Schubert, allergist and immunologist with the Allergy Asthma Clinic in Phoenix, said hay-fever symptoms should pick up again soon.
“Things will start to dry out and warm up very quickly for a few days,” Schubert said. “As it warms up, the plants will have a surge in metabolism and start to grow. They’ll get metabolically more active, and they’ll push out a lot more pollen in a burst. It quiets down a little bit, and all of a sudden give (a plant) a lot of sun and warmth and, boom, off it goes if it’s during its season.”
Schubert, who is also an associate professor at the University of Arizona medical school in Phoenix, said his patients began experiencing symptoms around the last week of January.
Those early sufferers are allergic to things such as juniper and ash trees. Mulberry and various weeds are among the next group of culprits, until people begin to feel the effects of Bermuda grass in May.
Over-the-counter remedies such as nasal steroid sprays (Flonase, Rhinocort, Nasacort or generic equivalents) or antihistamines (Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec or generic equivalents) can be effective. Nasal rinses (such as neti pots) can
“It’s awfully helpful to be tested so you can know what you’re allergic to.” DR. MARK SCHUBERT ALLERGIST AND IMMUNOLOGIST
also provide some relief.
Making lifestyle adaptations such as keeping windows closed while indoors, changing air filters monthly or even wearing a dust mask when outside mowing lawns can be helpful.
It’s also important for those who have moderate to severe allergies to see an allergist. For those people, prescription medicines or allergy shots can be most effective.
“It’s awfully helpful to be tested so you can know what you’re allergic to,” Schubert said. “If so, we can predict when (symptoms) will start. If you can get the nasal steroid going three to five days prior to the onset of pollen counts coming up, you’ll be a bit ahead of it.”