Stephanie Moore
Digital Media Manager
Picture shows ocean in Myrtle Beach covered in pollen
WHAT KAITLYN, THANK YOU. IT IS FEELING WARM OUTSIDE, AT LEAST FOR TODAY. AND THIS WARMER WEATHER CAN MEAN SOME SNEEZING AND COUGHING. AND, OF COURSE, SOME CONGESTION. OUR PEYTON FURTADO IS SPEAKING WITH LOCAL ALLERGISTS WHO WORRY WE COULD BE IN FOR AN EARLY ALLERGY SEASON. PEYTON, WHAT’S CAUSING THIS? WELL, SYDNEY, OUR WYFF 4 WEATHER TEAM, SAYS TREE POLLEN AND MOLD POLLEN COUNTS ARE EXTREMELY HIGH RIGHT NOW. SO IF YOU WOKE UP FEELING DROWSY OR CONGESTED THIS MORNING, YOU’RE NOT ALONE. IT CAN RUN, BUT YOUR NOSE CAN’T HIDE. I’VE GOT ALL THE FLONASE AND THE CLARITIN AND WHATEVER ELSE. LESS THAN TWO MONTHS INTO THE YEAR, ALLERGY SEASON IS ALREADY UPON US. BETSY LABUS SPENT THE WARM WINTER DAY OUT HIKING. ARMED WITH A HANDKERCHIEF TO PROTECT AGAINST POLLEN. SO MANY PEOPLE SUFFER FROM IT AND IT’S JUST MISERABLE. ALLERGIES AFFECT AS MANY AS 60 MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR IN THE U.S. HERE IN THE UPSTATE, DR. TRIPP, JOHNSTONE’S SAYS SYMPTOMS DON’T OFTEN BEGIN UNTIL MARCH. SUDDENLY, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST WEEK OR TEN DAYS OR SO, WE’VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT MORE OF KIND OF TRADITIONAL POLLEN TYPE COMPLAINTS. YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE CONGESTION, RUNNY NOSE, SNEEZING. HE ALSO RECOMMENDS THREE TREATMENTS, AVOIDANCE OF THE ALLERGEN. MEDICATIONS LIKE NON-DROWSY ANTIHISTAMINES AND NASAL SPRAYS. AND WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, ALLERGY SHOTS TO LESSEN ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO THAT ALLERGEN PERMANENTLY. AND WHEN IT COMES TO NATURAL REMEDIES LIKE LOCAL HONEY, PEOPLE SWEAR BY IT AND IT SURE IS YUMMY AND TASTES GOOD, BUT IT PROBABLY TRULY DOESN’T HAVE THAT GRAVEN EFFECT. HE SAYS. BEES MOSTLY POLLINATE FLOWERS THAT DON’T SOLICIT ALLERGIC REACTIONS. SO THE HONEY WOULDN’T HELP YOU BUILD UP MUCH OF A TOLERANCE. AS FAR AS WHAT THIS ALLERGY SEASON’S START MEANS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, THAT PROBABLY MEANS WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A WORST SEASON THAN USUAL. THE UPSTATE AREA IS PRETTY BAD TO BEGIN WITH. IT’S NOT LIKE WE USUALLY HAVE MILDER ALLERGY SEASONS. I THINK. SO WHAT WE’RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT IS A MORE PROLONGED SEASON RATHER THAN THAN A SHORT ONE. AND JOHNSTONE DID GIVE ONE ALLERGY GIVES TALE SOME LEGS TODAY. HE SAID IF YOU’RE NOT AS GREEN OR YELLOW FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, THERE’S A POSSIBILITY YOU HAVE A COLD OR A VIRUS INSTEAD OF ALLERGIES. BUT IF YOU’RE NOT IS CLEAR, YOU POSSIBLY HAVE ALLERGIES. LIVE IN GREENVILLE. I’M
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Picture shows ocean in Myrtle Beach covered in pollen
Stephanie Moore
Digital Media Manager
There is no doubt that pollen is making an early appearance in South Carolina this year, and a picture of the yellow ocean in Myrtle Beach proves it once again. Earlier this week, we showed a picture of an alligator in Moncks Corner covered in pollen and talked about the early allergy season. And then we found this picture that Lakiesha Grainger took on Wednesday at the Springmaid Pier. According to pollen.com the pollen forecast for the Myrtle Beach area is high for Thursday and Friday. It was in the medium to high category when the picture was taken. Tree pollen actually started showing up in January in our area. It was low, but just the presence of it that early is rare. The tree pollen soared to high levels in February, with weed pollen even showing up months early from time to time.Tree pollen usually shows up in March in our area and peaks in April.Grass pollen starts peaking in May and June and weed pollen shows up at the end of July and typically peaks in September.So if you are suffering from allergies, we are sorry to say this is just the beginning of the season.Got allergies? SC doctors say allergy season came early, and could last longer than normalDr. Trip Johnstone, with Allergy Partners of the Upstate, says if this early start is any indicator of what the rest of allergy season will look like, you might need to stock up on tissues and medication now.He also recommends the following:Avoidance of the allergenMedications like non-drowsy antihistamines and nasal spraysWhen all else fails, allergy shots can lessen allergic reactions permanently"It probably means we're going to have a worse season," Johnson adds. "The Upstate area is pretty bad to begin with. It's not like we have a milder allergy season, so what that probably means is a more prolonged season than a short one."
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. —
There is no doubt that pollen is making an early appearance in South Carolina this year, and a picture of the yellow ocean in Myrtle Beach proves it once again.
Earlier this week, we showed a picture of an alligator in Moncks Corner covered in pollen and talked about the early allergy season.
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And then we found this picture that Lakiesha Grainger took on Wednesday at the Springmaid Pier.
Lakiesha Grainger
According to pollen.com the pollen forecast for the Myrtle Beach area is high for Thursday and Friday.
It was in the medium to high category when the picture was taken.
Tree pollen actually started showing up in January in our area. It was low, but just the presence of it that early is rare.
The tree pollen soared to high levels in February, with weed pollen even showing up months early from time to time.
Tree pollen usually shows up in March in our area and peaks in April.
Grass pollen starts peaking in May and June and weed pollen shows up at the end of July and typically peaks in September.
So if you are suffering from allergies, we are sorry to say this is just the beginning of the season.
Got allergies? SC doctors say allergy season came early, and could last longer than normal
Dr. Trip Johnstone, with Allergy Partners of the Upstate, says if this early start is any indicator of what the rest of allergy season will look like, you might need to stock up on tissues and medication now.
He also recommends the following:
- Avoidance of the allergen
- Medications like non-drowsy antihistamines and nasal sprays
- When all else fails, allergy shots can lessen allergic reactions permanently
"It probably means we're going to have a worse season," Johnson adds. "The Upstate area is pretty bad to begin with. It's not like we have a milder allergy season, so what that probably means is a more prolonged season than a short one."
