To quote the great writer Charles Dickens "it was the best of times it was the worst of times" except in the case of Louisiana's seasonal allergy sufferers we have more of an emphasis on the worst of times despite the fact that recently, the weather conditions have been among the best we've seen this season. Ahh, such is the case of life along the bayous and among the oaks. When the weather gets warmer, the cars turn yellow.

CBS Philadelphia via YouTube
CBS Philadelphia via YouTube
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Most of us recognize that faint yellow film that greets us when walking out to our cars in the morning or getting ready for the drive home every afternoon. Except, here lately the pollen has been pooling on our cars even if we just head out for lunch. Yeah, the pollen is that bad across South Louisiana and if you're sensitive to it, then you already know.

The website Pollen.com is a great resource for all things pollen and allergy related and according to their numbers, Louisiana is facing some of the worst that Mother Nature has to offer when it comes to pollen counts. Yesterday's pollen count, according to Pollen.com was 10.2, the same is expected for today and conditions could be even worse tomorrow.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the pollen counts actually get worse on Thursday and Friday. By definition, the "pollen count" as described by the popular allergy medication Zyrtec's website is "a measure of the average number of pollen grains per cubic meter2(squared)". And you can tell by the yellow dusting on just about any sedentary surface there is a lot of pollen floating in the air that we are breathing.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies doctors suggest you limit your time outdoors on days when the pollen counts are high. If you must be outside, try to avoid being out during the middle of the day into the afternoon hours. That's when the pollen appears to be the worst. 

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The most egregious offenders in the pollen parade across South Louisiana this week are juniper trees and bushes, Ash trees, and a favorite in South Louisiana, the Oak tree. They're not the only plants that are making your nose run and eyes water, they are just leading the charge.

Besides taking over-the-counter medications those who are dealing with the effects of pollen can mitigate those by making sure clothes are being washed or at least changed once they come inside from outside. It's probably a good idea to refresh that filter in your air conditioning system too.

The good news about all this pollen is that a nice rainstorm or two could certainly help clear the air. The bad news is there are no nice rainstorms forecast for South Louisiana in the near term. We do expect some rain Friday but it might not be enough to help you breathe easier.

Lukasz Szmigiel via Unsplash.com
Lukasz Szmigiel via Unsplash.com
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If your allergy symptoms persist or you just can't seem to breathe because of your symptoms you might want to ask your doctor for something stronger than what you can find on the shelf at your local drugstore. Eventually, pollen season will be over and we can start worrying about hurricanes. Hmm, maybe this hay fever isn't so bad after all.

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