Are your allergies bothering you? What to know about the tree pollen covering everything

Katie Landeck, The Providence Journal
·2 min read

With the thin layer of yellow dust that covers everything comes the start of the sneezing, the itchy eyes and the runny nose.

It’s allergy season in Rhode Island, and yes, it’s bad this year.

“All years are bad for pollen allergies,” said Dr. Russell Settipane, the co-director of Allergy and Asthma Centers of Rhode Island, in an email. “Trees species have been in existence for 360 million [years] for good reason; they know how to consistently produce an abundance of pollen from year to year regardless of meteorological variations.”

Pollen is a ubiquitous yellow presence each spring. It can cause misery for allergy sufferers.
Pollen is a ubiquitous yellow presence each spring. It can cause misery for allergy sufferers.

What is the yellow pollen on my car?

There are different seasons for different types of outdoor allergens. Ragweed is most prominent in the late summer and early fall. Grass allergies tend to get worse after Memorial Day.

But right now, in mid-May, it’s the trees. Pollen forecasters, such as AccuWeather, are predicting the pollen count to stay high for the foreseeable future.

That yellow dust you’re seeing everywhere is mostly oak tree pollen. There are other tree pollens mixed in – red maple, eastern white pine, scarlet oak, white oak, northern red oak, yellow birch, black oak, sweet birch, black gum and black cherry are the most common trees in the state, according to the Rhode Islande Department of Environmental Management. But, Settipane said, the oaks are most likely what’s bothering you.

“My observation is that in many parts of RI, oak is the number-one most prevalent tree,” he wrote.

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As the pollen swirls in the air – sometimes floating around for miles – it’s most likely what’s irritating you.

“It can cause problems before it settles,” he wrote.

What can you do to help your pollen allergy?

If you’re looking for treatment options for your pollen allergy, here’s what Settipane recommended. As always, discuss your treatment plan with your doctor.

  • If your symptoms are mild to moderate, consider a non-sedating antihistamine.

  • If you would describe your symptoms as moderate to severe, consider an intranasal corticosteroid.

  • If you’re looking for long-term amelioration of your symptoms, consider immunotherapy injections of sublingual therapy.

Settipane also said intranasal antihistamine sprays and antihistamine eye drops can also be helpful in addressing symptoms.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: What's causing allergies in RI? Oak tree pollen creates yellow dust