Allergy forecast for Long Island expected to be 'very high'
Flowers blooming at Eisenhower Memorial Park in East Meadow. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
People with spring allergies on Long Island should get ready for a rough week, according to forecasters.
A “very high” allergy forecast is predicted for the next 15 days, according to weather.com. The worst offender will be tree pollen, which will be “very high” on Saturday and “high” on Sunday.
Grass pollen is expected to be moderate on Saturday and low on Sunday, with ragweed staying low.
“This is the time of year when we allergists get desperate calls from patients begging for some relief,” Dr. Erin McGintee, an allergist with ENT and Allergy Associates in Southampton, told Newsday in an email. Their complaints range from red, itchy, swollen and watery eyes and nasal congestion to flareups of itchy, cracked skin known as atopic dermatitis.
In some cases, seasonal allergies can trigger asthma, causing shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.
“Pollen counts have been at high levels in Nassau and Suffolk counties since mid-April, with very few rainy days to knock down the pollen counts,” McGintee said.
Some trees that pollinate early, like maple, birch and elm, still have pollen in the air while oak, hickory, walnut and other late pollinators are just starting to ramp up, she said.
And as tree pollen season moves to grass pollen season in the late spring and summer, they can overlap, causing problems for people who suffer from both allergies.
“Dry, windy days will spread more pollen,” Dr. Catherine Monteleone, a professor and director of allergy and immunology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J., said in a statement. “Even an average pollen season can have days to weeks with very high pollen levels."
Climate change has caused the growing seasons to start earlier and last longer than they did three decades ago, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Tree allergy season usually runs from February to April, followed by grass season through June and then ragweed season starts in August and lasts until cold weather results in a frost.
“Oak pollen in particular can be very challenging for people who suffer from seasonal tree pollen allergies,” McGintee said. “And for those who also suffer from allergies to grass pollen, we can expect these levels to start increasing later this month as well.”
People who have allergies can alleviate their symptoms by keeping windows closed during the season and wearing sunglasses outside, as well as changing clothes and showering after spending time outdoors.
Monteleone said people should also consider using a HEPA purifier to filter out allergens and an over-the-counter saline nasal spray, which can clear pollen from the nasal passages and throat.
People with spring allergies on Long Island should get ready for a rough week, according to forecasters.
A “very high” allergy forecast is predicted for the next 15 days, according to weather.com. The worst offender will be tree pollen, which will be “very high” on Saturday and “high” on Sunday.
Grass pollen is expected to be moderate on Saturday and low on Sunday, with ragweed staying low.
“This is the time of year when we allergists get desperate calls from patients begging for some relief,” Dr. Erin McGintee, an allergist with ENT and Allergy Associates in Southampton, told Newsday in an email. Their complaints range from red, itchy, swollen and watery eyes and nasal congestion to flareups of itchy, cracked skin known as atopic dermatitis.
In some cases, seasonal allergies can trigger asthma, causing shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.
“Pollen counts have been at high levels in Nassau and Suffolk counties since mid-April, with very few rainy days to knock down the pollen counts,” McGintee said.
Some trees that pollinate early, like maple, birch and elm, still have pollen in the air while oak, hickory, walnut and other late pollinators are just starting to ramp up, she said.
And as tree pollen season moves to grass pollen season in the late spring and summer, they can overlap, causing problems for people who suffer from both allergies.
“Dry, windy days will spread more pollen,” Dr. Catherine Monteleone, a professor and director of allergy and immunology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J., said in a statement. “Even an average pollen season can have days to weeks with very high pollen levels."
Climate change has caused the growing seasons to start earlier and last longer than they did three decades ago, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Tree allergy season usually runs from February to April, followed by grass season through June and then ragweed season starts in August and lasts until cold weather results in a frost.
“Oak pollen in particular can be very challenging for people who suffer from seasonal tree pollen allergies,” McGintee said. “And for those who also suffer from allergies to grass pollen, we can expect these levels to start increasing later this month as well.”
People who have allergies can alleviate their symptoms by keeping windows closed during the season and wearing sunglasses outside, as well as changing clothes and showering after spending time outdoors.
Monteleone said people should also consider using a HEPA purifier to filter out allergens and an over-the-counter saline nasal spray, which can clear pollen from the nasal passages and throat.
Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.
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