Pollen Levels About To Soar In Maryland: Allergy Forecast

BALTIMORE, MD — Warm weather is moving into Maryland and will even make it feel like summer with a high around 81 degrees on Friday, which is a welcome relief from winter, but it will come at a cost for some. Pollen levels are expected to skyrocket in the region beginning Wednesday and continue through the weekend, so get ready for allergy symptoms and stock up on your go-to medicines and Kleenex.

The pollen outlook in Baltimore is expected to change from moderate to high from Wednesday through Sunday, according to the Pollen.com tracker. Very high pollen levels are predicted Friday and Saturday.

Trees are the main culprit to the pollen cloud and allergies, with the maple, elm and juniper trees wreaking the most havoc on people with allergies, according to Pollen.com. Grass pollen and and outdoor mold spore levels are relatively low, while breathing comfort is very good, Weather.com reports.

The worst times for allergies are typically dry, windy days. The current forecast shows a gusty day on Thursday with winds topping 20 mph, but little chance for rain until Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

This week is the first time in 2018 the Baltimore area records very high pollen levels, says the Weather.com allergy tracker, with a count of 792 expected today. By comparison, last year's highest pollen count in Baltimore was 415 on April 11. It could be even worse, Atlanta is the country's pollen hot spot with a count of 5098 likely on Wednesday. (For more information on this and other news, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

Such heavy pollen can be irritating, even uncomfortable, for all of us. But it's particularly troubling for people with allergies — which are abnormally sensitive or strong reactions by the immune system to a particular substance, like pollen. About 35 million Americans are sensitive to pollen, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The most common symptoms of such allergies include runny nose, post-nasal drip, sneezing, congestion, coughing and itchy or watery eyes. More rarely, they can cause headaches, loss of taste and smell, low productivity and poor concentration, fatigue, sleep disturbances and snoring.

While completely avoiding this level of pollen is impossible, Patient First medical centers of Maryland offers tips for dealing with heavy pollen, particularly for people with allergies:

• Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a rain, which helps clear pollen from the air.
• Delegate lawn mowing, weed pulling and other gardening chores that stir up allergens.
• After spending time outside, take a shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair and put on clean clothes.
• Wear a face mask if you do outside chores.
• Start taking over-the-counter antihistamines when high pollen counts are forecasted even before your symptoms start.
• Use air conditioning in your house and car.
• Wash your bedding in hot water.
• Vacuum and clean floors frequently.
• Use high efficiency air filters and change them frequently.
• Use mattress and pillow covers.

Patch editor Doug Gross contributed to this report.

Image via Shutterstock