NY Allergy Tracker: Bracing For Pollen, Sneezing & Misery

NEW YORK — Few things terrify allergy sufferers more than spring in New York.

What many see as a beautiful rebirth after a long winter — budding trees, blooming flowers, a vibrant cover of fresh green grass — all but promises misery, sneezing and suffering to those afflicted by seasonal allergies.

Take this video from the Austin Diagnostic Clinic, for example, which shows pollen bursting from a cedar tree as someone shakes it from below.

That’s the stuff allergy nightmares are made of right there.

Also called hay fever and allergic rhinitis, seasonal allergies by any name can make you miserable. But it’s like they say in the sports world: The best defense is a good offense.

Aside from stocking up on the tissues, antihistamines, decongestants and neti pots (see below, if you’re lucky enough not to know what this is), a little prevention and preparation go a long way when it comes to avoiding the side effects of allergies.

Check Your Daily Allergy Forecast

Numerous sites across the internet offer weekly or even daily allergy forecasts. The map allergy tracker by pollen.com gives you a glimpse of the current allergy forecast according to city and metropolitan area.

According to the pollen.com tracker, depending on where you live in New York, you are either faced with a medium-high or high pollen count Thursday.

In both Yorktown Heights in northern Westchester and Huntington Station on Long Island, the pollen count Thursday is 10.1 and the top allergens are maple, elm and juniper.

And the pollen count is going up to 10.4 Friday.

However, pollen.com’s allergy tracker can be used any time to find the current forecast for your ZIP code. Check your community’s allergy forecast now.

Other popular allergy trackers include The Weather Channel and the National Allergy Bureau.

The A To Z Of Allergies

Confused by seasonal allergy lingo? Here are a few keywords to watch for when you find yourself with a case of spring sniffles:

• Allergen: A substance that triggers an allergic reaction in a person who’s sensitive to it.
• Antihistamine: A medication that prevents symptoms such as congestion, sneezing, and itchy, runny nose.
• Decongestant: Medication that shrinks swollen nasal tissues to relieve symptoms such as swelling, congestion and mucus.
• Hay fever: An allergic reaction to pollen from ragweed, grasses and other plants whose pollen spreads on the wind.
• Neti pot: A device that looks like a small teapot, a neti pot is used for nasal irrigation. In other words, it’s used to flush out mucus and other debris from your nose and sinuses to improve breathing.
• Pollen and mold count: A measure of allergen amounts in the air. The counts are usually reported for mold spores and three types of pollen: grasses, trees, and weeds.

Preventing Allergic Reactions

Here are some suggestions to nip allergies in the literal bud, according to the Mayo Clinic:

• Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a good rain, which helps clear pollen from the air.
• Delegate lawn mowing, weed pulling and other gardening chores that stir up allergens.
• Remove clothes you've worn outside and shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair.
• Don't hang laundry outside — pollen can stick to sheets and towels.
• Wear a pollen mask if you do outside chores.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said masks, in addition to slowing the spread of the new coronavirus, also offer some protection against seasonal allergies because they can keep some larger particles from being inhaled. The agency recommends, though, that masks should not be your only protection against pollen because smaller particles can still get through the covering and be inhaled.

If you wear a reusable mask, wash it after each use, particularly if you suffer from seasonal allergies, because the covering may carry particles such as pollen, the CDC said.

If Pollen Counts Are High

Here are a few other things you can do to head off an allergic reaction:

• Check the allergy forecast for your location.
• If high pollen counts are forecast, start taking allergy medications before your symptoms start.
• Close doors and windows at night or any other time when pollen counts are high.
• Avoid outdoor activity in the early morning when pollen counts are highest.