HOUSTON – This allergy season has been intense in Houston! Today the tree pollen count was high. Although this sounds awful (and it still is), it’s technically better than what we have been seeing over the past several weeks! Today is the first day since March 22nd that the tree pollen count has been below the extreme category.
In order to be considered extreme, the tree pollen count must be above 1,500. Last week we saw pollen counts over 10,000, and on Thursday it was recorded over 12,000 making it the highest recorded count ever here in Houston.
There are a few possible causes for the rise in pollen. One possible reason our allergies are so bad is that we have seen more mild winters. Last Christmas we were in the 80s, and when you see a warm winter it can cause allergens to last for a longer duration of time, while being more intense. Another possible explanation would be the big freezes we’ve seen. In the case of the February 2021 freeze, our trees were put under a tremendous amount of stress. This stress can cause trees to enter a survival mode that produces more pollen in the future.
Of course there are a lot of things you can do to help mitigate this awful pollen! Take allergy medication before your symptoms start. Change your clothes when you come inside, and rinse off any pollen from your body. Closing doors and windows to prevent pollen entering your home is also a good way to stay sneeze-free indoors. If you suffer from extreme allergies you can also wear a mask outside.
Typically allergy season ends mid-April, so relief may be coming soon! We always post the pollen forecast here at Click2Houston.com.
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