A week after Chattanooga reached its highest-ever pollen count, allergy sufferers still are battling levels almost 40 times those labeled as “high.”
The pollen count for the 24-hour period from Monday to Tuesday morning was 4,287 — considerably less than last week’s peak of 7,036 on April 7 but astronomical compared to the 61-to-120 range that constitutes high levels.
“It’s a pretty good bit higher than normal,” said Steve Langston, who measures the local pollen count for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau.
So much higher, in fact, that the city recently topped the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s top 100 list of the nation’s “allergy capitals.” In 2008, Chattanooga ranked No. 58 and, in just two years, it has soared to No. 3, said Angel Waldron, spokeswoman for the organization.
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The increasing pollen levels even have prompted some to consider moving, but Ms. Waldron said there really is no “best place” to live — allergens are prevalent in just about every state.
“Since I’ve moved down here, it seems like it’s gotten progressively worse,” said Ken Humphrey, 41, who moved to Chattanooga from New York 20 years ago. “That (ranking) says I need to relocate again.”
Though sneezing, a drippy nose and itchy, watery eyes can make enjoying the outdoors harder, Emily Cooper, 32, said she still plays outside with her 2-year-old son, Bo. They take over-the-counter medicine to combat their allergy symptoms and “try to do everything as normal, even though it is a little harder,” she said.
Increasing use of medications might be slightly to blame for the city’s high ranking, Ms. Waldron said. High pollen counts and rates of medicine use, coupled with a low physician-to-patient ratio, will push a city toward the top of the list, she said.
“We do find overmedicating because of all the over-the-counter treatment options that are available, which can be good,” Ms. Waldron said. “But if you don’t know what you’re supposed to be taking, you can waste a lot of precious time by using medications that are not right for you.”
Sherry Philip, an allergy nurse with Dalton Ear, Nose & Throat Associates, said patients often either are overmedicating or using the wrong medicine for their symptoms. Once patients come to the office, they are given strict instructions on what they should be taking, she said.
There is no definitive reason for the higher pollen levels this year, but local allergist Dr. Marc Cromie with the Chattanooga Allergy Clinic thinks recent weather patterns have played a role.
“Typically, our pollen comes out in late February, and we’ve had an entire month delay because our weather’s been so weird,” he said. “And so the trees have all been waiting to bloom and pollinate and, unfortunately for our allergy sufferers, it happened at the exact same time.”
Dr. Cromie said pollen culprits include pine, oak, hickory and poplar trees, among others. The most visible pollen, which now blankets cars throughout the area, comes from pine trees, but it’s also the type people are least allergic to, he said.
Trees usually finish pollinating by the end of May or early June, but Dr. Cromie predicts this year’s erratic weather will prolong the season.
“It’s obviously stronger than last year,” he said. “I think we have at least two months left of this.”
WHAT IS A POLLEN COUNT?
The pollen count is a measure of how many grains of pollen are present in one cubic meter of air over a 24-hour period. Technicians measure the amount by collecting the pollen on a small plastic sampling rod, which then is analyzed and the grains counted under a microscope. The rod picks up all allergens in the air, but technicians can sort through the different types under the microscope and pinpoint the amount of mold, pollen or ragweed present.
Source: Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau
POLLEN CAPITALS
1. Knoxville
2. Louisville, Ky.
3. Chattanooga
4. Dayton, Ohio
5. Charlotte, N.C.
6. Philadelphia, Pa.
7. Greensboro, N.C.
8. Jackson, Miss.
9. St. Louis, Mo.
10. Wichita, Kan.
Source: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
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