Missouri tree pollen causing spring allergies

COLUMBIA, Mo, (KMIZ)

Spring blooms begin to pop up as the weather warms, but the downside of the flowering plants in Mid-Missouri is a myriad of allergy-causing pollen.

Most spring allergens come from tree pollen in Mid-Missouri. Different trees flower at different times, but the Red Cedar and Maples trees will begin releasing pollen as soon as mid-March.

Hank Stelzer, associate professor of forestry for the University of Missouri Extension, said most tree pollen travels on the wind because it's so lightweight, which is also why it easily gets into people's sinuses and causes allergies.

"Pollen will travel for a quarter of a mile easily," Stelzer said. "Could even travel more than that cause they're very, very light. That's why we can get them in our systems and wreak havoc."

Dry, warm weather is the ideal condition for pollen to travel. Stelzer said when it rains, the pollen becomes too heavy for the wind to pick up.

"We hope for wet weather because it knocks the pollen out of the air," Stelzer said.

Nurse practitioner Cindy Rose with MU Health Care specializes in allergies. Rose said your body thinks pollen will hurt you, so your immune system attacks it, which causes the typical allergy symptoms.

Rose recommends trying over-the-counter medications before seeking medical help for allergies.

"First thing I would try is an antihistamine just an over-the-counter and antihistamine or an over-the-counter nasal steroid spray and see if that helps with your symptoms," Rose said. "Those may be good enough that you really don't need to do anything else. But if you've tried medications, and those aren't doing anything, maybe you've tried doing all the things at home and you're still having symptoms. That's when I would come in and talk about doing some testing."

There are a couple of ways to distinguish allergies from other types of illnesses, even though symptoms like sneezing, congestion and red eyes may be common for viruses and colds. Allergies will usually pop up the same time every year, Rose said, and you won't get a fever with allergies.

"Unfortunately, allergies and COVID are extremely similar except there is not a fever with allergies, so that should be a giveaway to people that if they're having a fever, something over 99 up into the 100s, probably not an allergy-related issue," Rose said.

Pollination times for Mid-Missouri plants

March:

• Alder
• Boxelder
• Elm
• Hazelnut
• Redcedar
• Maple

April:

• Maple
• Birch
• Cottonwood
• Hackberry
• Mulberry
• Sycamore
• Willow
• Sweetgum

May:

• Sweetgum
• Ash
• Beech
• Hickory
• Pecan
• Walnut
• Linden
• Mulberry
• Oak
• Pine
• Sycamore

June:

• Linden
• Oak
• Pine

May-June:

• Timothy
• Orchard
• Kentucky Bluegrass
• Red Tops
• Sweet Vernal
• Meadow
• Fescue
• Perennial Rye

May-June:

• Bermuda
• Brome
• Velvet
• Johnson
• Bahia
• Canary

May-July

• Englush Plantain
• Sheep Sorrel
• Yellow Dock

August-October

• Ragweed
• Lambs Quarters
• Cocklebur
• Marsh Elder
• Fireweed
• Mugwaort
• Russian Thisle
• Pigweed