ATLANTA — Temperatures are climbing, and so are the pollen counts.
According to Atlanta Allergy & Asthma, pollen counts have reached the "moderate" range nine times in February for tree pollen. Wet spells followed by warmth trigger trees to pollinate.
"We've started seeing significant pollen counts here even in February because it's been fairly warm. When it's warm, the trees respond by pollinating," said Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergy specialist at Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic in East Cobb.
"Every spring and every fall I've got congestion in my lungs, coughing all the time, runny eyes and runny nose," Marietta resident Stuart White told Channel 2's Katie Walls.
White has been dealing with allergies his entire life. It wasn't until he was tested by a professional allergist 15 years ago that he learned there were numerous allergens causing his symptoms. "I found that I'm allergic to a lot of different things. Some things in the spring, a lot of things in the fall, but some things in the summer and winter, too," White said.
"I think it's important for people to understand what's causing their problems. Get an allergy test. Go to an allergist who's trained to treat people with allergies," Fineman said.
Once you're tested, treatment begins. That might involve medications and allergy immunotherapy, which are formulated to each specific patient and delivered in the form of a shot or drop/tablet that dissolves under the tongue.
Fineman warned that immunotherapy needs to begin well before allergy season. "You have to start it at least three months beforehand. So it has to be done before and through the season," he said.
Luke Anderson, 12, began allergy shots two summers ago, which has made a world of difference for the sports enthusiast. "In the springtime I always breathed through my mouth, but I can actually breathe through my nose now," he said.
You can get the daily pollen count delivered to your smartphone and tablet by downloading the WSB News, Weather or Wake Up apps.
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