True, it seems that allergy sufferers say that every year, but this time a convergence of factors lends credence to their claims. First, winter and early spring were unusually wet, eliciting copious blooms. Then it stopped raining just as the pollen burst forth, allowing the irritating grains to waft about unchecked. Rain removes pollen from the air and washes it off the trees, but significant rain has not fallen this month. It's also been windy and sometimes hot, so people were inclined to keep their windows open, as pollen formed films of green dust on furniture.
Allergies can be serious when they trigger asthma attacks.
Local emergency rooms report an increase this month in people seeking treatment for asthma. Friday, May 4, in the midst of the recent heat spell, the pollen count went off the charts. On that day in the three previous years, the counts were all below 100. On the other hand, the pollen counts were significantly higher last year on May 9 and 10 than this year on those days. Whether this year is the worst ever, certainly the second week in May is always the worst week of the year, said Dr. Robert Settipane.