Achoo! Why this allergy season has been so bad - especially in East Tennessee
If you felt like your allergies kicked in extra early this year, you're not wrong. And if you're in Knoxville, allergy season can be even worse than elsewhere.
“It's been pretty bad,” allergist Dr. Nicholas Kolinsky, a Knoxville allergy expert, told Knox News. “Pollen counts are ridiculously high.”
Springtime weather arrived three weeks earlier than usual, causing peak allergy season to start earlier and likely last longer, USA TODAY reported. That's already bad news for allergy sufferers because warmer temperatures bring higher pollen counts, a trend that’s been occurring for decades.
From 1990 to 2018, the overall amount of pollen increased by up to 21% according to a study by the University of Wisconsin cited in a recent USA TODAY report.
Why allergy season is so bad in Knoxville
The pollen count in Knoxville is forecast to be medium-high or high at least until April 9, according to pollen.com. It’s been consistently high for the past 30 days – except for one very low day three weeks ago.
Kolinsky, a physician at the Allergy Asthma and Sinus Center in Knoxville, has seen an influx of patients with classic allergy symptoms since late February.
Tree, grass and weed pollen all are high throughout the year in East Tennessee, and wind can carry pollen hundreds of miles.
“A lot of the pollen – because of the geography in the area – kind of settles down here in between the mountains,” he explained. “I think that makes East Tennessee unique because there's a lot of pollen that comes through here.”
Tree pollen is the biggest culprit during the spring, and it usually peaks in March. Grass pollen dominates in the summer.
Who’s at risk for spring allergies?
As many as 60 million people in the United States experience hay fever every year due to pollen, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Certain people – like those with respiratory illnesses such as asthma – are more sensitive to pollen. Genetic factors also influence allergies.
And then there’s something called the atopic (or allergic) march. It refers to the “natural history of allergic diseases as they develop over the course of infancy and childhood,” according to the National Institutes of Health.
“Someone might have eczema as a young child and then as they get older eczema is a risk factor for food allergy, and so they might have eczema and food allergy,” Kolinsky explained.
“It's also that type of individual that might have allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis, or allergy nasal and eye symptoms and then also asthma."
How to beat the pollen
Kolinsky grew up in Knoxville and struggled with seasonal allergies throughout childhood and adolescence. It wasn’t until he was training to be an immunologist that he decided to get tested and learned more about his triggers.
A skin test by a certified allergist can help you identify what you’re specifically allergic to, whether its grass pollen, tree pollen, a specific food or something else. Once the triggers are detected, the physician and patient can develop a treatment plan to control or alleviate flare ups.
Immunotherapy allergy shots are one option. Kolinsky said it’s one of the best treatments because it desensitizes patients to their specific allergic triggers over time. Itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and other symptoms will decrease when you’re exposed to the allergen.
“I'm on them myself. I think they’ve made a world of difference,” he added.
The allergy shots can be given to patients as young as 2 years old and even to those in their 80s, the allergist noted. If you're not ready for the shot, a range of over-the-counter medications are available to provide some relief.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Allergies kick in early this spring, especially because of tree pollen
