After wet winter, more tree pollen expected in Charlotte area

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The pollen that is on the trees will soon be on cars. It will make those awful allergy symptoms even more unbearable.

Meteorologist John Ahrens stopped by some car washes and found the cars already lined up.

“It’s covered in pollen and the little maple sprouts in my yard,” driver Jay Hellinger said. “It was a mess.”

• Check daily pollen counts from Carolinas Asthma and Allergy here

People can blame the pollen on the winter. The past three months were the fifth wettest in decades. More rain equals more stress for the trees. When trees are stressed, they make more flowers, and more flowers mean more pollen.

“There’s more flowers out there on the trees producing all of this pollen,” city arborist Tim Porter said. “It’s one of the reasons that Charlotte has one of the biggest pollen problems in the country.”

It’s not just changing the color of your car. Local allergy expert Dr. Hunter Hoover said the sniffling and sneezing season is starting with a boom.

To avoid the headache, he said you should head straight from your house to your car in the morning, because that’s when the pollen is at its worst.

“Keep the windows shut and letting the air condition system filter the pollens,” Hooker said. “The truth of the matter is in Charlotte, you are just going to be exposed to the tree pollen.”

5 tips to help with spring allergies:

• Start taking over-the-counter allergy medicine now
• Keep windows closed in your home and car
• Give your pets a bath frequently
• Take shower or bath before bed
• Avoid being outdoors when pollen count is highest

Info provided by U.S. News and World Report.

Cox Media Group