Harsh winter revs up spring allergies in NJ
APRIL 12, 2014, 11:19 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2014, 11:19 PM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
Sure, this winter was cold, icky and long. But at least you weren’t allergic to the snow.
In the next few weeks, people with pollen allergies may look back at the never-ending winter of 2014 with unexpected fondness. With temperatures finally starting to rise, New Jersey may soon experience a compressed spring, causing an allergy season that’s supercharged.
For some, like Estefanny Lopez, who lives in Lodi with her 2-year-old son, the battle is on already. Mother and son had never experienced allergy symptoms until last month, when both started to experience itchy noses and sneezing.
“It’s been a really rough spring,” said Lopez, 25.
In a traditional spring, various species of pollinating trees and flowers bloom sequentially over a period of about 2½ months, said Estelle Levetin, who has studied airborne pollen since 1980. If spring is delayed, more plants pollinate all at once, creating a shorter but more intense season that can exacerbate symptoms for people who are allergic.
“This year we had an unusually cold winter that lasted longer than normal, and that set back pollen release significantly,” said Levetin, a biology professor at the University of Tulsa. “Each individual plant is not pollinating much more than normal. We’re just having a lot of plants pollinate simultaneously.”
At doctors’ offices across North Jersey, some allergists already are noticing a surge of patients complaining about runny noses, itchy eyes and labored breathing.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/harsh-winter-revs-up-spring-allergies-in-nj-1.939004#sthash.HtDxOuyM.dpuf