Driving in central Arkansas, you can sense that spring is coming soon. Trees are waking up from their long winter slumber and pops of colors are showing up in neighborhoods and along roadsides.
Daylight lasts longer and temperatures are warming up, it sounds like all good news. Unless you suffer from spring allergies.
Dr. Gene France with the Little Rock Allergy and Asthma Clinic said business has been slow because of the cool and wet weather trees have not been producing much pollen.
In fact, it has been too wet for the clinic to get a pollen count reading at their observation site. However, rain is disappearing from the forecast and the weather pattern is changing.
“If it doesn't rain and stays relatively dry and warm; then I think we will have a significant pollen rise and a significant allergy season with the tree pollen,” France said.
Don’t worry about the flowering trees, they are not the culprits creating the coughing and congestion.
The potent pollen that creates the misery is from the “tassels of terror” of the cedar and elm trees in March.
Then going into April, oak will be the obstacle for allergy sufferers, followed by hickory and pecan trees later in the season.
So, while many people will be enjoying the warm days outside, people with pollen problems will be keeping their windows closed, staying inside and looking for the antihistamines.
In case you are wondering, the pollen that covers your vehicle is most likely from pine, France said. Most people are not allergic to pine which is too big to float around and falls to the ground before getting into peoples bodies.
With a drier forecast the clinic hopes to send out their daily pollen readings next week.