Long Island Faces 2-Month Pollen Double Whammy as Tree and Grass Seasons Overlap
Updated
Updated · Newsday · May 30
Long Island Faces 2-Month Pollen Double Whammy as Tree and Grass Seasons Overlap
2 articles · Updated · Newsday · May 30
High tree and grass pollen are hitting Long Island at the same time this weekend, extending a punishing spring for allergy sufferers into early summer.
A cold winter delayed early tree blooms, then warmer weather triggered late-blooming trees quickly, while grass pollen started in May before tree pollen had fully faded.
Little recent rain has left pollen hanging in the air, and allergists said people with grass allergies could feel miserable for the next 2 months; asthma patients face added risk.
Doctors also said symptoms this year have been tougher to control, especially in young children, and advised checking daily pollen counts, limiting morning exposure, and keeping pollen out of homes.
Longer, more intense grass pollen seasons are increasingly tied to climate change and rising carbon dioxide, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
As standard allergy pills fail, are new biologic drugs and vaccines the only real solution for worsening pollen seasons?
Beyond personal remedies, could redesigning our cities with low-pollen landscapes offer a permanent fix to the allergy crisis?