Posted on 05/01/2006 7:53:01 AM PDT by Rebelbase
(KDKA) Experts across the country say that the highest pollen counts they've seen in a decade are being recorded, according to HealthDay News.
While the Southeast usually gets hit the hardest when it comes to airborne allergens, this season it may be the Northeast that suffers the most.
"I looked at the total pollen counts for this season compared to last, and, at this point, we have already reached 80-90 percent of what we saw for the entire season last year," said Albany, N.Y.-based allergy specialist Dr. David Shulan, a spokesman for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI).
The culprit has been a mild, wet winter and early spring, plus unusually warm days.
"We have seen an early and aggressive allergy season, including seasonal pollens and mold spores," said Dr. Clifford Bassett, a Long Island-based allergist and vice-chairman of AAAAI's Public Education Committee.
Shulan agreed.
"The buds have been ready to burst, and when we have these warm days, the pollen counts have been just wild," he said.
"Bush's fault."
Bush's make pollen don't they?
A few days ago one late afternoon the sun beams coming through the trees contrasted with a darker background and you could see the pollen filling the air. Looked like the dust ruckus raised from a pillow fight.
Why was this pulled from the Front Page News sidebar?
I JUST KNEW, JUST KNEW, when I started reading this, that GLOBAL WARMING would be squeezed into this article at some point.
He's the one belching out all that hot gas..
This has been the most beutiful spring in years and the worst kleenix count that we can remember.
I heard a piece on the radio that blamed, not global warming, but public works decisions several years ago that opted to plant a high proportion of male trees in urban and suburban areas. The reason given was that female trees are messier, they drop seeds and fruit; male trees produce pollen and that involved no clean-up. Apparently they didn't think about the other effects....
Well, ACH, ACH, ACHOOOOOOOOO!, that explains it. (sniff)
This is the worst allergy season I can remember. I've been racked with violent sneezing for a week now. Pray for rain!
Women and minorities affected most. A direct result of global warming and our failure to ratify the Kyoto accords. (sarcasm)
You too, huh? Kicking my butt this year..
Another factor is the greatly decreased numbers of honeybees gathering pollen. Feral honeybees have essentially disappeared and the number of hobby beekeepers has been greatly reduced in the last 20 years or so due to the mite problems.
> ...public works decisions several years ago that opted to plant a high proportion of male trees in urban and suburban areas. ...male trees produce pollen and that involved no clean-up.
Especially those White Magnolias that have become ubiquitous of late.
Think of it as a "Water Pik" for your nose.
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