‘Pollen storm’ still raging in N.J., but some relief on the way for allergy sufferers (2024)

For allergy sufferers in the New Jersey region, there’s some good news and some bad news when it comes to the 2023 pollen season.

An allergy expert based in Springfield says a “pollen storm” that has been raging in the Garden State during the past few weeks is finally starting to wane. However, he says some allergy sufferers may be facing a tough second phase of the allergy season — with grass pollen starting to boom.

That means more runny noses, itchy eyes and scratchy throats for folks who are allergic to pollen, according to Leonard Bielory, an allergist and researcher at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and member of the Kean University Center for Aerobiological Research.

“This is definitely the stormy season for pollen,” Bielory told NJ Advance Media this week. “Just like April showers bring May flowers, there’s a stormy timing for pollen.”

Bielory said the first phase of this year’s allergy season — an explosion of tree pollen — got off to an earlier start than usual, so “the storm has been a little more prolonged.”

“You can see the pollen on your cars,” he noted, saying he sometimes jokes with colleagues that he can measure the intensity of an allergy season by counting the number of cars lined up at car washes.

Bielory said a big factor in the tree pollen “storm” this spring was the heavy rain that fell in the Garden State in late April. While rain is great for washing pollen off cars, houses and outdoor furniture, it also provides nourishment for the trees that produce heavy volumes of pollen, the doctor noted.

Making the situation worse, he said, was the long string of dry days that followed the April showers. Plus the windy days that blew the pollen around in the air.

Two big culprits during recent weeks have been birch trees and oak trees, Bielory said, adding that both generated huge numbers of pollen grains per cubic meter of air. Those numbers are now getting lower, he said, but for allergy sufferers there’s more misery ahead.

“As the tree pollen goes down, the grass pollen starts going up,” the allergist said. That’s bad for people who are sensitive to grass pollen, although grass has a far lower concentration of pollen grains than trees do.

As if tree pollen and grass pollen aren’t bad enough, allergy sufferers also have to cope with mold spores and ragweed later in the year.

Different phases of allergy season

When winter is winding down and the weather turns warmer, the buds of trees start to open and pollination begins. It’s then a domino effect, with all sorts of nasty allergens emerging at different times during the season. Here are the various types of pollens and when they typically strike during the year:

• Tree pollen — Early spring and late spring
• Grass pollen — Late spring and early summer
• Mold spores — Summer
• Ragweed and other weeds — Late summer and fall

Tips for allergy sufferers

If you are among the tens of millions of Americans who suffer from pollen allergies, here are some helpful tips from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to help ease your symptoms:

• Start taking allergy medicine before pollen season begins. Most allergy medicines work best when taken this way. This allows the medicine to prevent your body from releasing histamine and other chemicals that cause your symptoms.
• Limit your outdoor activities when pollen counts are high. This will lessen the amount of pollen allergen you inhale and reduce your symptoms.
• Keep car windows and house windows closed during pollen season and use central air conditioning with clean filters.
• Bathe and shampoo your hair daily before going to bed. This will remove pollen from your hair and skin and keep it off your bedding.
• Wear sunglasses and a hat when outside. This will help keep pollen out of your eyes and off your hair.
• Limit close contact with pets that spend a lot of time outdoors.
• Change and wash the clothes you have worn during outdoor activities.
• Dry your clothes in a clothes dryer, not on an outdoor line.
• Wash your bed sheets, blankets and pillow covers in hot, soapy water once a week.

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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com.