ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., March 1 (UPI) -- Spring is around the corner, and 40 million U.S. adults may expect to suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Spring allergy is most commonly caused by tree and grass pollens, but the severity of the allergy depends on where an allergic individual lives and the time of year that pollination occurs, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
There is no way to accurately predict pollen counts or how bad this spring allergy season will be, but several factors can influence how much allergy sufferers will sneeze, wheeze or itch their eyes including:
-- A mild winter can cause trees to pollinate earlier and could bring an early start to the allergy season. Mild and warm weather that continues in the spring also can increase pollen counts.
-- A late-season freeze following a mild winter can inhibit, and possibly eliminate, a tree's pollen production.
-- Rain can provide some initial relief by reducing tree pollen counts, but it also can spur the growth of grass later in the spring, producing more pollen.
-- Windy weather increases pollen counts as pollens are spread throughout the air, increasing exposure.
