Pollen battle starting earlier than usual
The snow and ice from a few weeks ago is now giving way to a greenish, yellow pollen in Atlanta. The pollen count is high at 944 on Monday according to the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic.
Dr. Stanley Fineman at the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic says, "This is much earlier than normal. We've seen pollen counts start to creep up in March in the past, but never over nine hundred. This is unprecedented."
People in Atlanta are complaining of sneezing, watery eyes and cough. Tree pollen is causing the most problems. Elm, cedar and maple are the major contributors.
The cold wet winter is ideal for trees to bloom with the warmer weather. Dr. Fineman says it is hard to say what kind of pollen season we can expect. He says if you suffer from allergies you really need to start taking precautions.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says about forty million Americans have indoor and outdoor allergies attributed to tree, grass and weed pollen.
