ATLANTA -- When they say Atlanta was built in a forest, they're weren't kidding.
And with all the green-space here, allergies are nothing to sneeze at.
"I actually thought I was getting sicker than just allergies," said one young woman out jogging in Chastain Park. "I had to go to the doctor on Monday to get some medicine for it, and they put me on Zicam this year. And I never had allergies before so… I don't know if it comes with age or if it's just that bad."
It's just that bad.
And just about everything picks up pollen, from your clothes to your pets.
"Pray for rain," laughed a man walking his rather large Great Dane. "But it doesn't really bother me that bad. Some years are worse than others. This year, it's probably not going to be that bad."
But at more than 1700, the latest pollen count is one of the highest ever seen this time of year. And some trees that typically aren't even in bloom are part of the assault on your immune system.
"Oak tree is responsible probably for making the most people miserable," said Dr.Kevin Schaffer of the Atlanta Allergy&Asthma Clinic. "It's the most potent, and it lasts the longest; but it's quite early for it to be showing up."
The Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic says by the end of March, the pollen count will begin to climb. And because of what's called the "priming" effect, sufferers won't find relief, even on days when the rain knocks the pollen way down.
"The nose and the eye symptoms are the most common," said Dr.Schaffer. "But some people have allergic asthma, so they can have wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. There are people, especially children, with eczema that is worsened during the pollen season."
The good news is that there are plenty of new treatments available, so you don't have to suffer like you live in the middle of a forest.
Even if you do.
