Newswise — More than just spring is in the air. Ask anyone with allergies or asthma.
“Cypress and cottonwood pollen as well as mold spores are documented in the air in higher quantities than normal, for the Midwest, and all over” said Joseph Leija, MD, Loyola University Health System, who prepares the official allergy count for the Midwest on behalf of the National Allergy Bureau. Leija conducted an allergy recording at 7 a.m. on Monday, March 12, almost one month earlier than the customary April 1 start date of the allergy reporting season.
“The unusually warm winter has led to early blooming of trees and plants, which means noxious pollen in the air is aggravating sensitive breathing systems,” said Leija, who has reported the Gottlieb Allergy Count for more than two decades. He keeps a special pollen-catching machine on the roof atop Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, just outside Chicago.
“I think the pollen count is actually higher and the steady rains last night and earlier this morning has washed some of it away," said Dr. Leija, who conducted the offical allergy count at 6 a.m. and in the rain. “The heavy winds of the past few days have blown substantial pollen in from the South and a large pollen cloud has been reported moving through the Southeastern part of the United States.”
Dr. Leija attended an annual meeting for the American Association of Asthma, Allergies and Immunology in early March and returned eager to begin recording the Gottlieb Allergy Count. “Everyone reported historically poor respiratory conditions and an increase in patients with respiratory problems due to the unusual weather and also an increase in pollution,” said Leija. “An increase in pollution means an increase in carbon dioxide which accelerates the growth of plants and pollen.”
Dr. Leija recommends the following health tips for those with breathing conditions:
• Keep windows closed in your home and also in your car to protect indoor air for improved breathing.
• Run the air conditioning or air cleaning systems to remove allergens and also humidity from indoor air for better breathing.
• Wash hair before sleeping to remove any trapped allergens.
• Take medication as prescribed and see your allergist if symptoms worsen. The Gottlieb Allergy Count is available in English, Polish and Spanish, through Twitter; at Gottliebhospital.org and in English at 1-866-4-POLLEN (476-5536).
The Midwest experienced four air-quality alerts for dangerously high mold counts during the 2011 allergy-reporting season, making it one of the worst in a decade.
“2012 is already shaping up to be another bad season for those with respiratory conditions,” says Dr. Leija.
RSS