Brace yourself: Beaufort Co. is close to the country’s second-highest ‘pollen hot spot’
Try to blow your nose before reading this.
Savannah has been deemed the No. 2 “pollen hot spot” in the United States by the Weather Channel, earning its spot on the list for the immense amount of tree, grass and ragweed pollen in the air.
The city comes in second to Dallas, and is followed by three other Texas cities: San Antonio, Houston and Georgetown.
That doesn’t bode well for Beaufort County, which also has high tree pollen counts, according to the Weather Channel’s allergy tracker.
Last year, The Island Packet reported that the high pollen season came several weeks early.
This year appears to have followed suit — giving cars yellow-tinted films and outdoor runners itchy eyes three weeks before the traditional start of the season in mid-March.
Most people who are allergic to pollen can treat the nasty symptoms by taking over-the-counter antihistamine medications such as Zyrtec or Claritin, according to Rachel Nall, a registered nurse with Medical News Today.
Ideally, you’d start taking those medications a few weeks before the allergy season, Nall wrote.
However, if you find yourself in peak allergy mode, Nall recommends washing bedsheets and changing air conditioner filters to give your home a clean slate.
This story was originally published February 18, 2019 at 9:42 AM.
