The sun is out, plants are in bloom and many Gilroyans are stopping to smell the roses. But for some, this spring has been a toxic outpouring of pollen and other allergens.
“It’s a blooming spring,” said Gilroy allergist Donald Burt, Jr. “And it’s a very high year for allergies.”
Burt said that because of the mild winter, the period of sun in early spring brought the first blooming wave, and later, spring rain nurtured the grass on the hills, making it thicker than usual. Then, last weekend’s warm weather brought a second blooming wave. To top it all off, Burt said that April’s gentle wind stirred pollens all around.
“Pollen counts have been so high this year, it has been difficult to count them,” Burt said.
Monday’s pollen count was high (7.7 pollen grains per cubic meter of air to be exact), but counts are expected to drop to a moderate 3.8 by Thursday as the forecasted rain will wash the pollen out of the air, according to a report from Pollen.com.
Christine Riley, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Monterey, said last weekend’s heat wave was caused by a ridge of high pressure that set up over the area – at 95 degrees, Saturday was the warmest day so far this year in Gilroy – but cooled down by Monday thanks to low clouds from the coast that lingered throughout the day. By Saturday the area will heat up again, Riley said.
Burt said these dramatic changes in weather make allergies worse, and that pollen counts are expected to skyrocket again by the weekend when the sun comes out.
“Some sources have said this is the worst year for allergies we’ve had in decades,” he said.
Burt recommends those who suffer from allergies to wear eye protectors while outdoors, and to change out of their clothes and shower immediately after coming inside.
He said that there are some great over-the-counter non-drowsy antihistamines available. He also recommends buying an ionic air filter (he said that humidifiers don’t work) for inside the home, which he said are an upfront investment but are very cheap to maintain.
The most common allergy symptoms are nasal congestion, itchy eyes, runny nose and skin rashes. The most unrecognized common symptom is tiredness and lethargy, Burt said.
Burt believes that the thick grasses on the hills surrounding Gilroy will keep pollen counts high through May and June and possibly throughout the entire summer.
