No end yet to allergy season despite early start

The itchy eyes, coughs and runny noses allergy sufferers endure are bad enough, but with a premature peak in temperatures and persistent high pollen counts, this spring has been particularly troublesome for some central Ohioans with seasonal allergies.

Tree and grass pollen levels both remain high, according to counts Tuesday from the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency in Dayton. The counts, 265 and 42 per cubic meter of air, respectively, rank in the top 25 percent of the National Allergy Bureau’s pollen counts.

Mold counts reached 23,482 spores per cubic meter Tuesday, the highest point of the year, surpassing Friday’s figures by more 10,000 spores. Mold spores are smaller than pollen grains and, when inhaled, can cause allergic reactions in people with mold allergies.

Central Ohioans typically experience their worst seasonal allergy symptoms from March through May, when tree pollen levels peak. However, when unseasonably warm temperatures hit the area in February, allergy season arrived a few weeks early.

Levels of tree and grass pollen are on par with past years, said Brian Huxtable, an air pollution analyst at the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency. But, unfortunately for local allergy sufferers, that early start extended the season rather than shifting it.

“Allergy season started early, but that really hasn’t ended it any earlier,” Huxtable said.

The agency collects data on allergy and mold counts five days a week through its monitoring station at Sinclair Community College. The Dayton station is one of three Ohio locations — the others are in Findlay and Sylvania — that track allergen levels for the National Allergy Bureau.

This year, the combined tree and grass pollen count climbed as high as 1,702 in February, according to the agency — a peak which wasn’t surpassed until April 11.

The unusual spike in February wasn’t bad for all allergy sufferers, though.

“I’ve seen a wide variability,” said Dr. Charity Fox, an allergist-immunologist with the Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. “Some people said they didn’t have as bad a time this year, and others said it was much worse.”

It primarily depends on which trees a person is allergic to, Fox said. Some of the plants that took advantage of February’s warmth may have been stunted by the late cold snaps and volatile weather that followed, bringing relief to some allergy sufferers.

Now that budding is complete, Huxtable expects tree pollen levels to taper off in the next few weeks, but those with grass allergies can expect moderate to high pollen levels through June.

Until then, Dr. Fox recommends spending time in buildings with filtered air and showering immediately after spending extended time outdoors, especially on sunny, breezy days.