The hot and dry weather this summer is leaving Atlanta with a parting gift.
A ragweed pollen count that is up, and more than just off the charts, said Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergy specialist.
"It's, like, off the wall right now," he said.
A count of 50 is considered "extremely high," and it was 77 Thursday and 101 the day before. The highest was on Sept. 13 when the count was 155.
So far this month, the count exceeded 50 on eight days and it reached the threshold for "high" -- 31 -- on three days.
"It's a little unusual to have them this high for this long," said Fineman, who is with the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic.
He's seen a steady flow of patients with the classic symptoms: nasal congestion, itching, sneezing and runny nose.
About a quarter of the population suffers from rhinitis, an allergy to ragweed pollen.
The best thing they can do for themselves, besides taking drugs with antihistamines, is to stay indoors where the air is filtered, Fineman said.
Ragweed pollen travels on the wind as far as 50 miles, so clearing nearby properties of the plant won't solve the problem.
Ragweed thrives in the conditions Atlanta experienced this summer, Fineman said. The only thing that will make the outdoors safe for people with the allergy is a cold snap, he said.
"When we get the first frost, then the ragweed pollen will stop."
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