Health Watch By Sherry Mullenix

The North Jefferson News



If you’re wondering why everyone is driving a yellow car these days, there is a reason — pollen.

Each spring, summer, and fall, tiny pollen particles are released from trees, weeds, and grasses. Their mission on this earth is to fertilize parts of other plants for the purpose of the continuation of the species.

However, a countless number of these little particles never reach their intended targets.

Instead, they enter our throats and noses and trigger a type of seasonal rhinitis called pollen allergy. Many people know this as hay fever, depending on the season which it occurs.



What is pollen?

Plants produce microscopic round or oval pollen grains in order to reproduce. The pollen particles need to be transferred from one part of the plant to another or in some cases even a different plant. Some plants depend on insects to do this job while many others just depend on the wind.

Since it is a hit or miss process, pollen is generated in vast quantities to assure the job is accomplished. A single ragweed plant can generate over a million grains of pollen per day.

The most common cause of the allergic reaction is produced by the plain-looking plants and not those that have the showy flowers. These little particles can be widely distributed.

For example, ragweed pollen has been collected 400 miles out to sea, and up to two miles up in the air. The most common producers are ragweed, sagebrush, bermuda grass, redtop grass, Russian thistle, oak, elm, hickory, pecan, box elder and mountain cedar.

Certain weather conditions can either increase or decrease the production of pollen from both the tree and grass sources.

• A mild winter can mean an early start of the pollen allergy season, as trees tend to pollinate earlier. Pollen counts can increase with a mild winter and intensify during a mild spring

• Wind can spread pollen and spores more rapidly, increasing overall exposure to pollen. Dry, windy conditions result in higher pollen counts. Hot windy weather can increase allergy symptoms because these conditions result in a higher distribution of pollen.

• A late freeze can decrease or delay tree pollination, resulting in a lower pollen count.

• Rain can reduce pollen by washing it from the air. This provides relief for the allergy sufferers. However, increased rain in the fall or winter can cause an increase in spring tree pollen amounts. Rains in the spring can stimulate the growth of grasses, thus producing more grass related pollen.

Spring is often referred to as “allergy season.” Your body looks at the proteins in the pollen as invaders and responds accordingly.

Symptoms of a pollen allergy can be itchy watering eyes, runny nose, itchy throat, hives, fatigue and irritability. Symptoms can last a few weeks or months depending on how long the pollen is in the air.

If the symptoms persist and are not relieved by over-the-counter medications, you may need to see your physician. If your condition is bad enough, the physician may suggest an allergy test to identity the offending pollens.

Some individuals end up taking allergy shots, which are a series of minute concentrations of the offending agents. This allows your body to develop immunity.

What can you do on your own to avoid the symptoms? Avoid the outdoors, and keep your windows closed. In severe cases you may need to wear a face mask. Ask your pharmacist about over-the-counter medications such as antihistamines or decongestants.

One time-proven method is to consume locally produced honey. The logic for this practice is that locally produced honey is loaded with the locally produced pollen. Eating small quantities of locally produced honey will allow your body to product antibodies to the naturally occurring pollen in your area.

Lastly, keep up with the pollen count. A pollen count is often a part of the local weather report. This report measures the concentration of certain pollen per square meter of air in a 24-hour period. Pollen counts tend to be higher on warm mornings and lowest on cool rainy days.

Reported pollen counts will fluctuate, but they can be useful in scheduling outdoor activities to avoid maximum exposure to pollens you know are a problem.

Sherry Mullenix (J.D., R.N.) co-owns The Pharmacy in Mount Olive with her husband, Steve Mullenix (R.Ph). They can be reached at 631-1201.