It’s definitely Spring.  The weather has gotten warmer, the flowers are starting to bloom, and I could have sworn I heard a lawnmower in Traverse City yesterday.

  There’s a lot to love about Spring, but my sinuses don’t share that sentiment.  I, like many others, am allergic to tree pollen and many varieties of flowers.  As I watch the green start to show up on the trees, I’m just waiting for my nose to go into overdrive.   

    Weather, of course, plays a large role in the severity of any allergy season.  The drier conditions are, the easier it is for particles from plants and other pollutants to get carried by the wind, ready to be inhaled.  Rain can have a positive or negative effect.  A lot of wet weather will encourage mold to grow and help trees and flowering plants get their pollen going as well.  The amount of allergens in the air goes up and it’s tissue time!

    Rain isn’t all bad.  It can actually be quite effective at cleaning pollutants from the air.  When rain drops fall, they collide with particles of dust, pollen, smoke, and any number of other things suspended in the air we breathe.  The water drops then bring the particles from the air to the ground and it’s much more difficult for us to inhale them from there.  That’s why you may feel a little better after it rains and why the air seems a little more “fresh.”

     Hopefully, this season won’t be too bad for those of us with allergies.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed and my tissues handy! 

 You can check the pollen levels in your area and get the pollen forecast at www.pollen.com