InTouch with Southern Kentucky April 2020 | Page 23

Following a mild winter, flowers
are blooming and trees are leaf-
ing out earlier than ever recorded
across portions of the U.S.
“Tree pollen allergies such as ma-
ple, oak, ash, and birch are prevalent
in the spring time in this area,” Dr.
Bozeman noted. “In addition, grasses
start to pollenate towards the later
part of spring and continue through
the summer months. Tree pollen can
pollinate for miles and can cause
symptoms such as runny nose, nasal
congestion, sneezing, itchy watery
eyes and sinus pressure. These
allergies can also flare asthma with
symptoms such as cough, wheeze,
and shortness of breathe.”
Phenologists – who study seasonal
phenomena in the natural world –
calculate the start of spring based
on observations of ‘leaf-outs’ (the
appearance of tiny leaves on trees),
blooms for species active in early
spring (such as lilac and honeysuck-
le) and weather events and tempera-
ture conditions. Here the season
started 9-12 days early.
M arch 2020
That means more pollen for a huge
swath of the United States, stretching
all the way from Texas to Michigan on
east. Grab the tissues. You’re going to
need them.
Pollen counts are highest between
5 a.m. and 10 a.m., just the time we
are off to work and school. Be sure
to keep the windows in your home
closed and use the air re-circulate
feature on your home A/C and button
in your car to avoid drawing in the
I n T ouch with S outhern K entucky • 23