ATLANTA — If you keep thinking this allergy season has been dragging on and on, you aren’t wrong.
WSB spoke with allergy doctors about how it’s been a record-breaking pollen season in Atlanta.
After pollen spiked early, it’s also hitting high levels late. Back in February Atlanta Allergy and Asthma tracked the first “high” pollen date.
Now, last Thursday, April 20 was the latest date that the count has been over 3,000.
March 6 was the earliest date the count reached the “extremely high” range in the more than 25 years they’ve been keeping record. March 7 also reached over a 3,000 count.
“They’re coming in saying, ‘I don’t remember having this many symptoms so severe.’ Itching of eyes, sneezing,” Dr. Stanley Fineman said.
Fineman said this spring is unprecedented. It’s part of a trend that the practice has been documenting in medical journals.
“We know because of the warming trend, and we’re seeing earlier pollen counts and higher pollen counts.”
While over-the-counter medicines works for some people, Fineman says targeted treatments bring more relief.
“That means they really should go and see an allergist and get evaluated and make sure they have a good treatment plan,” he said.