Date: 5/11/2009     Author: Shelia M. Poole - AJC.com     Category: News

Pollen Season Continues On

Thought the days of itchy eyes, sneezing and a stuffy nose were over? Think again.

Pollen, the stuff that any newcomer to metro Atlanta soon starts to dread, is still in the air and will be for several more months.

Tree pollen is being replaced by a new culprit —- grass pollen.

Grass pollen revs up in May and reaches its highest point in summer. After that, it’s weed pollen in late summer and fall.

In fact, the things that make Atlanta desirable, such as its many plants, trees and flowers, plus temperate climate, also make it a nightmare for allergy and asthma sufferers, said Dr. John DelGaudio, director of the Emory Sinus, Nasal and Allergy Center at Emory University Hospital Midtown.

This year may have been particularly bad.

Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist with the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic, said the pollen season, which began earlier than usual, had several days with very high pollen counts.

“The problem, of course, is that the patient allergic to these pollens had more difficulty sooner and for a longer period of time,” Fineman said.......................................

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