Pollen season is here and it has hit with a force. According to Accuweather, this season started early and had some of the highest counts of pollen in recent years. Pollen allergies, often referred to as hay fever, affect millions of Americans each year. Unfortunately, people are feeling the effects sooner than usual. Pollen season typically starts in April, but this year many people felt the affects as early as March.
“Man my allergies this year are killing me,” said Nick Thomas, a junior at Ball State. “They have never really been this bad before and I hate it. My eyes itch and I wake up with a stuffy nose every morning. I think we just need a good long rain to make most of it go away. It’ll come back though.”
Pollen gives an explanation of how pollen is produced. It all begins with the male part of the plant called the anther where developing pollen receives nutrition and gets covered in cellulose. Pollen Mother Cells are then produced which are eventually broken down into smaller pollen cells by cell division. After more complex cellular division, the pollen grain is produced.
After the formation of the pollen, it can be transported in many different ways. It can attach to a bumble bee, a passing human or animal or simply carried by the wind. This is the phase when people who are allergic to pollen start to feel its affects.
There is no specific pollen season. Pollen is in the air year round but the pollen count is the highest during spring season. The only time some people feel the effect is when certain species of pollen that causes allergic reactions is in bloom. This is why some people experience their allergies at a different time of year.
There are countless treatments that can help people deal with allergy problems–whether it’s coming from dogs, cats, cottonwood or pollen. There are pills, nasal sprays, shots and even liquid that can help you cope with your allergies. According to WebMD, it is recommended that you take these medications before the pollen season hits so it is in your system. If you start consuming allergy relief medicine when you start to feel the symptoms, you might be too late.
“It is important for people to recognize their allergies and take care of them ahead of time,” said Dr. Sai Karlapudi, an allergy specialist at the Muncie Allergy Center. “People can be allergic to a lot of things, from grass to peanuts. Allergies can be very annoying and we’re here to help people solve these problems.”
Karlapudi works at the Muncie Allergy Center which is located at 4505 Wheeling Avenue. They help patients with allergies, asthma and immunology amongst children and adults. In addition to treatment and allergy management, they educate their patients about allergies. The Muncie Allergy Center’s website offers educational resources about allergies.
Another great preventative is a pollen tracker system. Keep an eye on a pollen tracker app or website from a reliable source; it can help determine your chances of experiencing high-pollen conditions on a daily basis. The Weather Channel has an app available for iPhones and Androids that maps and tracks the pollen count in a specific location. However, it is important to keep in mind that pollen tracker apps do not determine how the pollen count on a given day affects each individual person.
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