Achoo! Pollen at its worst in years in many areas (Climate Change Alert!)

AP ^ | 04/09/10 | TAMARA LUSH

[GauchoUSA]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Pollen: It's on your car, in the air and especially in your sinuses.

From Florida to Texas to Colorado, 2010 is shaping up to be a monster of an allergy season. The words "pollen" and "allergy" are among the top 10 trending topics on Twitter in several U.S. cities. Everywhere, it seems, is covered in a fine yellow dust that irritates our lives. Experts say it's the worst they've seen in years.

"It's wicked bad this year," said Dr. Mona Mangat, an allergy specialist in St. Petersburg, Fla., who can't recall a worse year in the six she's worked there. "We're just overwhelmed with patients right now. We're double- and triple-booked with new patients, trying to work people in because we know how much people are suffering."

And they are suffering a lot. Take 5-year-old Sam Wilson of St. Petersburg. His mom gives him Claritin in the morning, Nasonex and Benadryl at night, and he receives four allergy shots every week. The sidewalks of his hometown are covered in what look like piles of dried, brown worms — but they are mounds of oak tree pollen.

The boy's mother said that when the pollen is at its worst, his eyes water and itch, he can't breathe through his nose and his throat burns.

[Malsua]

The story about Claritin is interesting. It’s only slightly more effective than a placebo at 10mg doses. When it is at a dose that works it causes drowsiness.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I don't see mention of CO₂ or AGW in the article. Or are you merely anticipating the "explanation" from climate "scientists?"

[GatorGirl]

Yeah it’s bad. My husband and daughter are suffering for the first time this year and usually it’s only me and our son. We have the oak “worms’ everywhere and our cars are yellow.

I think the trees love this polluting CO2 so much they are pollenating like crazy. :-)

We use local honey and it seems to alleviate the problem a bit. And taking 24 hour Zyrtec every 12 hours instead. It’s ugly but I can’t help opening the windows and doors to the beautiful weather—we’ll survive!

[Bitsy]

Silent? They are loudly cheering! They have been anything but silent. Socialism is not a bad word to them. It is a goal to achieve and has been for well over 30 years. Socialism only fails, in their estimation, when it has the wrong leaders. Finally, they believe, it has the right leaders.

How many radio stations/TV Stations/ programs etc does a socialist country need? Will these cheering leftist loving media have a job when it’s all over?

[Prokopton]

I’ve used Nasonex a couple of times. But people warn against over use to where you then become dependent on it. Like even a couple of days of repeated use.

Nasonex is a corticosteroid that usually takes up to a week or more to become effective. It is not habit forming and has few side effects from long term use.

You might be thinking about decongestants like Afrin that should not be used for more than a few days and has some terrible snapback reactions after discontinuing it's use.