Pollen Strikes Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. – You may have noticed a cluster of pollen on the hood of your car this morning, signaling spring allergies are here. Dr. Gailen Marshall, Director of Allergy and Immunology at University Mississippi Medical Center, says those allergies have been going on for about ten days now for sensitive people.

“The good news is that all that pollen on your hood is not really the problem. Most of that is from pine. It is very big and very heavy, other trees bloom now at the same time like oaks and maples are a huge problem,” said Gailen.

According to Gailen, pollen this spring is expected to be heavy due to the lack of prolonged cold temperatures over the winter, but Gailen says there are still ways to try and prevent those allergies.

“An ounce of prevention is worth ten pounds of cure here. There are good, over-the-counter, non-sedating antihistamines. If you take those before you get symptomatic that’s going to tend to prevent your symptoms compared to waiting to take them afterward.”

A poll by the Asthma and Allergy foundation of America listed Mississippi's capital as the fourth most spring allergy affected city in 2012.