New York City's street trees may be aggravating your allergies

Allergy season is upon us. If you're an allergy sufferer, you're probably stocking up on medications and planning new routes to avoid all those scenic but sneeze-inducing flower patches. But did you know that some of the biggest pollen producers aren't flowers? Many species of trees produce wind-blown pollen as well. While pollination is crucial for trees to reproduce, it can do a number on your allergies. It also doesn't help that some of the most popular street trees in New York City are also some of the top offenders when it comes to pollen and allergies.

With approximately 5.2 million trees growing on public and private property in New York City, it's likely you'll find yourself face-to-face with a pollen-producing tree. For the 2005-2006 NYC Street Tree Census, the City of New York Parks & Recreation created a handy resource to help in the identification of the most common street trees in the city.

If you're looking for tree identification on-the-go, you can also check out the LeafSnap app, which we previously mentioned in our "Three helpful mobile apps for people with allergies" post.

If you think you've got tree pollen allergies and want to be tested or have questions about other resources available to people with allergies, give us a call. We can be reached at 212-729-1283 or send us an email at info@hudsonallergy.com.

5 signs that spring & spring allergies are on their way (in NYC)

After a long and particularly “white” winter - especially if you’re in the NYC area - we bet you are more than ready for spring. But for those of you with seasonal allergies, the dawning of spring also means the beginning of the much dreaded sneezing, wheezing, and itching. The real culprit in this case is pollen, or the grains emitted by trees, weeds, and grasses to fertilize other plants, thus completing the essential process of life and of sending your immune system into overdrive. Today we’ve gathered for you five signs that spring and spring allergies are coming soon to New York City, and some tips that can help you enjoy blooming flowers without blooming allergies too!

1. Warming weather: This winter we’ve went through a particularly busy onslaught of snow storms, with temperatures dipping down to near record lows and treacherous conditions forcing school closings and traffic accidents. But relief is near! After a few chilly days at the end of February, weather forecasts get a great deal sunnier, and those of us who’ve battled through this winter can relax and expect some pleasant days ahead. However, for the city’s spring-blooming trees (whose pollen are the most to blame for spring allergies), especially in beautiful Central Park, this thawing is their signal to begin sending their pollen spores out and begin their beautiful and itchy return to life.

2. Late winter precipitation: In addition to the vigorous snow storms throughout the season, we’ve also seen quite a few thunderstorms in this late winter. This plentiful watering creates favorable conditions for trees and plants to bloom and could mean higher pollen counts when they do.

3. We’ve got top secret information that bulb flowers like tulips and daffodils are already beginning to sprout in Central Park through the melting snow. Although bulb flower pollens or fragrances are not notable spring allergens, their presence is the harbinger of the season and the blooming of other Central Park and city-wide trees and plants, much like the American elm.

4. Early blooming American elm flowers: Fortunately for many NYC dwellers, there’s a great stock of the graceful and massive American elm trees throughout Central Park. Unfortunately for many of us, elm pollen is one of the greatest offenders of spring allergies in New York City and the Northeast. In addition, American elm flowers bloom in clusters in early spring, as early as late January. This means that by late February, if we’re not experiencing elm pollen already, we should be expecting them, and the accompanying allergy symptoms, soon.

5. Allergenic city trees: Along with elm, some of the most common street trees in New York City, such as maple, ash, and oak (which account for 5 of the 10 most common NYC trees) are among the top culprits of spring allergies and of your sneezing, sniffling, misery.

So what are some ways to combat the dark side of a coming spring?

• Shut windows and doors to keep out pollen
• Avoid going out in the morning when pollen count is the highest
• Keep track of pollen levels and stay in when they’re particularly high
• Regular house-cleaning to prevent outdoor allergen build-up on furniture

These are a few basic tips to help you enjoy the spring season. Seeing an allergist before pollen arrives can also help you identify your offending allergens and fight (aka treat) the battle early.  If this is you, get in contact with us, you will be glad you did. 

Lousy Smarch Weather

Last week I happily put my winter coats in the back of the closet, and then this week I begrudgingly pulled them back out again. It seems that March this year has come in like and lion, and it looks like its going to go out like a…well..a lion. Is this going to make the allergy season shorter? Can we all stop stocking up on Kleenex?

Studies looking at the relationship between weather patterns and pollen levels are notoriously difficult to perform.  Pollen collecting devices are obviously static and cannot move around.  Therefore, any variations in wind patterns precipitation, or even land use for farming and commercial development can have effects on local pollen counts, without really explaining what’s going on in the wider region.

One of the best studies was performed in the mid-eighties in California. The study looked at oak pollen (a really common allergen in NYC, and the most populous trees in Central Park) over a 9 year period of time, looking at various meteorological variables. The level of total pollen counts and, therefore allergy symptoms, was best explained not by the length of the winter months, but by the total rainfall the previous year.  Last year, NYC came just under the average for rainfall, so maybe we will be spared this season?

Another multi-year study in Colorado looked at temperatures and weed pollen (like ragweed). They found that higher temperatures led to more days of high pollen counts, and that early frost effectively ended the allergy season. Will these prolonged low temperatures lead to lower pollen counts this spring? Maybe this year Mother Nature is trying to give all of us a break by keeping it colder just a little bit longer.

If you are interested in finding out if you have allergies, what you are allergic to and how your symptoms can be cured, we are here to help. Give us a call to schedule an appointment, or simply click here to bookonline.