We are living in bizarre times. Though it feels as though the world is standing still, the cycle of nature continues. Spring has arrived and with it comes allergy season. But what is pollen and what causes the pollen count to soar during this time of year? The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology attributes four primary factors to the high pollen levels we see: length of the growing season, erratic weather, rainfall, and wind.
Length of the growing season. Longer growing seasons might be a good thing for farmers and gardeners, but it can mean increased misery for allergy sufferers, as it increases the time pollen and mold are present as well.
Erratic weather. A warmer than usual winter season, as experienced this year, makes trees pollinate earlier. If spring weather fluctuates greatly between warm and cold spells, it can result in more intense periods of pollen release during the warm spells, when plants take the cue to grow and release pollen.
Rainfall. Rain can be either a good thing or a bad thing for allergy sufferers, depending on when it happens. The worst allergy seasons are often preceded by a wet spring, which promotes rapid plant growth later on. But rain can also provide a much-needed respite for those with allergies, as heavy rainfall can help clear the air of pollen.
Wind. Dry and windy weather is not kind to people with allergies, as the wind spreads pollen and mold.
Read more at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
We'd like to clear the air and leave you with this poem to lift your spirits.
Pollen Poem
Pollen. It would be a male thing.
Just when life is reborn in a refreshing spring green,
Pollen dominates and demonstrates the coverage it can bring
Smothering the world with its own green scene.
When the sticky pollen from the flower’s male stamen escapes
Past the female stigma on the pistil then havoc takes place.
Pollen, giver of headaches, sniffles and runny eyes,
Spread by wind, winged insects, people too, sparking a dogfight
as the body repels the invader. So many flowers, weeds and trees it defies
Reason to expect that millions will escape misery. It’s just not right
That pollen is the badder dog in this fight. But suddenly the flowers
All bloom, trees green, birds sing. And pollen has proven his powers.
Poem by Fay Mitchell