It may not officially be the start of spring just yet, but if you’ve been outside in south Louisiana, you know the pollen count is already in midseason form.
And it’s not just your imagination. Pollen.com, a website that tracks the pollen count nationwide, shows that all of South Louisiana is already rated in the highest possible pollen levels, and the count in New Orleans is among the highest in the country.
In fact, New Orleans is forecasted to overtake the nation’s overall leader Laredo, Tex., by this weekend.
The site lists juniper, ash and oak trees as the most prolific offenders of allergies in the region, but of course there’s no shortage of triggers for Louisianians’ sinuses to go into overdrive.
And with very little rainfall on the immediate horizon, don’t expect those allergens to get washed away for the next few days at least.
So what can you do about it?
Washing or at least changing clothes that were worn outside for an extended period of time can help. So can changing the filter on your home’s air conditioning system.
Over-the-counter allergy relief medications can also help unclog those closed up nasal cavities, but anything strong will need a doctor’s consultation.
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