Delaware's tree pollen count considered severe

DOVER — As allergy sufferers can likely already report, the state’s current tree pollen count is acute, ChristianaCare’s Dr. Dana Newswanger said this week, adding that the ragweed/grass numbers are moderate.

Related issues of some form will probably remain for months. “The typical pollen season runs from March, when trees bloom, to October, when mold becomes an issue,” the family medicine doctor said. “This year, due to a mild winter and earlier spring blossoming season, the intensity of allergy symptoms is worse.”

Delaware State University horticulture specialist Dr. Rose Ogutu also described the pollen as “here to stay, because it’s not only the trees that produce pollen; it’s the grasses, the weeds.”

“All through the growing season you could say that some amount of pollen is in the air,” she said.

Dr. Ogutu added that weather could exacerbate its movement, too.

“When it’s coupled with some wind activity, of course, there’s more effect because pollen has to fly into people’s noses, into their skin or something,” she said. “Though we’ve had a late spring, and it’s been intermittent warm and cold, this is the time when the main flowers are like, ‘We know we need to multiply.’

“So, they produce pollen to pollinate the female flower so that the seeds are made as the season is just beginning.”

Until about 10 years ago, Dr. Ogutu had never been affected by pollen.

“My doctor said it’s due to immunity changes,” she said. “It makes me really sneezy in the morning. Sometimes, when it gets too bad, it’s hard to breathe. I try to close my windows when I know there’s a lot of pollen in the air. Sometimes, you can see it. You can sniff it, see it on your floors, windows, cars and so forth.”

She described the university environment as “tree-heavy” and, therefore, prone to pollen.

“It’s a beautiful campus, so you can imagine that most of the trees that are here to make the campus beautiful have very showy flowers and, hence, produce pollen,” she said.

Dr. Newswanger has been treating allergic patients, whose symptoms range from runny noses to irritated and watery eyes to scratchy throats, sneezing and congestion.

But “people with asthma may suffer asthma exacerbations due to tree pollen, grass pollen and ragweed,” she said.

To mitigate issues, “the precautions that people can take include keeping the windows closed, turning on the air conditioner, decreasing the time of exposure to outdoor pollens and (showering) before going to bed to remove pollen from your skin,” she added.

And there’s always the option to mask up.

“A mask acts like a barrier and can block pollen allergens in the air,” Dr. Newswanger said. “The mask will keep the particles from going into the nose, mouth and lungs.”