It’s that time of year when people seem to be crying, even though they aren’t sad.
Blame it on allergies, which can create perfect misery.
Tree pollen is the main culprit in the spring. Although pine tree pollen, which leaves a dusty yellow calling card on windshields and porches, is what many think of as the main cause of spring allergies, it’s actually pollen from other trees that creates allergic reactions.
“Pine tree pollen is irritating to everybody, regardless of whether they have allergies or not,” according to physician Brian P. Vickery, an allergist with the Duke Division of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology at Duke Medical Center. “It irritates the heck out of mucous membranes, but it’s actually not an allergy. The particles are too large to be handled by the immune system.”
But pollen from other trees, including birch, oak and maple, are in the air about the same time, and they do cause allergic reactions, Vickery said.
So how can a sufferer know if the problem is just an irritation or an allergy?
The best way is to see a board-certified allergist, who can run tests and make a correct diagnosis, Vickery said.
“There is a lot of suffering that goes on, and I think there’s a real deterioration in the quality of life for people,” he said. “Seeing someone who’s trained to handle this can often result in a significant amount of improvement.”
Common allergy symptoms include:
Itchy eyes. “This is one of the things that can really drive people crazy,” Vickery said.
Nasal congestion, which makes it harder to breathe and sleep.
Sneezing and an itchy, runny nose.
“One under-recognized problem with people who have allergies is that because of all their symptoms, they don’t rest very well at night, and that leads to fatigue and just a sense that they’re not able to get on with daily activities,” Vickery said.
In addition to tree pollen, two other types can pester those with allergies:
Grass pollen, which tends to be worse in summer.
Weeds, which usually produce pollen in late summer and early fall.
Each part of the United States has different distributions of pollen, and in the Southeast, the warmer temperatures and humidity can make things worse, Vickery said.
“There are conditions that promote the growth of these tree species aggressively and earlier [in the Southeast],” he said. “So in the North, you wouldn’t have pollen right now. If you live out West where it’s warmer, you have a different type of tree that’s pollinating.”
Vickery tells his patients that seasonal allergies in the Southeast can last from February to November, “so you can have symptoms most of the year related to pollen.”