The warm weather is producing pollen and that has some folks in metro Atlanta sniffling and sneezing.
Kevin Schaffer, MD with the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic says we've seen a pop in the pollen. Typically, when we have years with a lot of rain the pollen when eventually kick in very strong," says Schaffer.
It's tree pollen that is showing up now. The trees are Elm, Birch and Maple. They can cause significant allergy problems for some people.
Symptoms of allergies include: Nasal congestion, sinus pressure, runny nose, itchy & watery eyes, scratchy throat and cough.
Cold and flu are also going around in metro Atlanta, so how can you tell if you are suffering from allergies or not? Consider the duration of the symptoms. Normal colds last about 7-10 days. While this may sound gross, the next time you blow your nose, take a look at the color, a clear discharge typically means allergies are to blame. However, yellowish colored discharge could indicate a cold, flu or sinus infection. If you have a high temperature or muscle aches, those are normally caused by a cold or flu.
Read more about pollen count here: http://www.atlantaallergy.com/pollen_counts