The perils of pollen

It’s the least anticipated rite of spring in the Midlands — pollen and allergy season.

Along with arresting azaleas and delicate dogwoods come the culprits — the thick yellow pine pollen that coats your car, and the tiny particles from other trees that cause the scratchy throats, itchy eyes and headaches.

For longtime residents, it’s simply the annual yellowing of Columbia, as common as July’s humidity. But for those who are new to the area, it can be a bit startling.

“I’d been told about it, but it’s really quite stunning when you see it,” said Sonya White, co-president of the Newcomers Club of Greater Columbia. White is a native of England who moved to Blythewood a few years ago.

“We have pollen and hay fever in England, but it never bothered me. But I sneeze like the devil here.”

Still, she’s not complaining about life in South Carolina.

“I love it. The pollen and summer heat I can deal with. I’ll take the sunshine over the English rain any day.”

A POLLEN PRIMER

So for all you newcomers, welcome to pollen season. It’ll be here awhile. Here’s a primer to help you understand it and deal with it.

That yellow stuff that’s coating everything. That’s pollen falling from our pine trees. And although it causes a mess that needs to be hosed off every few days, it’s not to blame for itchy eyes and sore throats. Pine pollen is too large to get into your nasal and bronchial passages and cause trouble. You might want to take off your shoes before you track the yellow powder into your house, though.

It’s not the pretty stuff that’s causing the problems, either. The azaleas, dogwoods and other colorful blooms that signal spring are pollinated by insects, meaning their pollen is carried around by bugs and isn’t floating around in the air.

“The showier the flower, the less likely it is to cause a problem,” said Bert Pittman, a botanist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. The culprit is the stuff that’s pollinated by wind, blowing billions of particles around each spring.

So blame the less showy trees and grasses. In the spring, it’s mostly the oak, sweet gum and birch trees to curse for the pollen lodging in your eyes and nasal passages.

Never had allergies before? That doesn’t mean anything. People’s sensitivity varies according to the species of plants. And some people develop allergies later in their lives. Seasonal allergies affect more than 20 percent of the U.S. population, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. And the season is longer and more intense in the South.

In the Southeast, sniffles attack each spring and fall. Late March and April rank high in pollen problems. You can see how bad it will be each day by checking www.pollen.com. This week’s forecast is for high levels in Columbia, with today predicted as the worst day of the week.

Look out for the dry, windy days. As the wind whips, the pollen sacs rupture, causing the pollen to really come out. So days of high wind and low humidity are the worst. See, humidity can be a good thing.

There are ways to cope. Allergists suggest washing and wiping areas where the dust tends to gather; changing home air filters regularly; keeping your windows closed; setting the car air conditioning on recirculation, so you don’t get outdoor air; changing and washing your contact lenses frequently; washing and brushing your dogs before they come indoors carrying pollen with them.

Treatment options are available. Allergists recommend over-the-counter antihistamines for minor aggravations.

There are home remedies some people believe work, such eating local, raw honey. The theory is that honey is laced with traces of pollen from the plants within a couple of miles of the hive. Thus, eating local honey will build a person’s immunity to local allergens. While some people may swear by its effectiveness, there is no scientific evidence to support the claims.

If your symptoms get worse, consult a physician about allergy testing and prescription medication.

Where can you go to get away from the pollen? North, mostly. Some places are worse than the Midlands. According to pollen.com, the worst spots for allergies this week are Dallas, Fort Worth and Las Vegas. The best? Duluth, Minn., Montpelier, Vt., and Syracuse, N.Y. But there’s a trade-off. The normal daily mean temperature in Columbia is 63 degrees. Duluth? 38 degrees.

Don’t worry, it will end. The two flushes of allergy season are right now (tree pollen will bother us until the beginning of summer), and again in the late summer-early fall, when the quintessential wind pollinated plant — ragweed — starts blowing around.

In the middle, we get a break, when summer plops down on the Midlands. Just heat and humidity to deal with then.

Reach Sexton at (803) 771-8418.