Warmer weather expected to push Connecticut pollen counts higher
Connecticut residents are reaching for tissues and allergy medicine as spring pollen levels continue to rise across the state.
Sneezing, runny noses, itchy eyes and congestion are affecting many people as tree pollen season overlaps with grass pollen season, creating stronger allergy symptoms for some sufferers.
“I’m kind of feeling it right now. The pollen and everything,” said Lory Cheng, of Bristol.
“All the pollen and everything. You get really stuffy,” said Amari Boyd, of Bristol.
Boyd said allergy symptoms can quickly become uncomfortable.
“It just feels like very scratchy and everything just gets red and all,” Boyd said.
NBC CT StormTracker Meteorologist Steve Glazier said Connecticut’s high concentration of trees makes the state especially vulnerable during allergy season.
“We’re currently in the season of tree pollen overlapping with grass, you tend to get some higher influxes and higher impacts from allergies,” Glazier said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in four adults suffer from seasonal allergies.
Recent rain brought some temporary relief by lowering pollen counts, Glazier said.
“The wet weather this past weekend actually dampened the pollen count a little bit, providing a little bit of relief,” Glazier said.
However, pollen levels are expected to increase again as temperatures warm up later this week. Pollen.com listed pollen levels across Connecticut on Monday in the low to low-medium range.
“We are expecting more pollen this week because we’re at this time of the year where we start to see it rise late May, plus the weather is getting warmer, which will in turn give us a higher pollen count,” Glazier said.
Some residents are already trying different methods to manage symptoms. Bernie Michel, of Hartford, said growing up he had a unique way to dealing with them.
“I was sneezing like eight times a minute or so and I was blowing my nose into diapers,” he said.
Doctors recommend keeping windows closed, showering after spending time outdoors and using over-the-counter medications to help reduce allergy symptoms.
“You could wear a mask,” Cheng said.
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