Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Tom Capezzuto
(973) 972-7273
E-mail: capezzta@umdnj.edu

Pollen Alert!
Late Winter Barrage Won't Delay Arrival of Robust Pollen Season

3/23/05—Old Man Winter's late season barrage of snow and ice in late February and much of March won't delay the start of the pollen season now that the spring weather has arrived, said an allergy expert at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).

"The winter was tame until late February and early March, but pollen-producing tree buds, weeds and grasses are on schedule for their normal blooming period," said Dr. Leonard Bielory, director of the Asthma and Allergy Research Center at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark. "Some of my patients are already experiencing discomfort earlier than usual."

Nagging sneezing fits and itchy, watery eyes are typical symptoms associated with the perennial arrival of the allergy season. "Patients with allergies need to see their physicians now to minimize the discomfort that pollen brings," Dr. Bielory said.

Prescription medications, including histamine injections, and over-the-counter medications are both recognized as traditional treatments, he said. Alternative approaches, such as herbal nasal sprays and organic compounds, may be beneficial to some patients. Other ways of controlling pollen are based on common sense.

"Keep your home and car windows shut and use air conditioning as much as possible to minimize the effects of pollen," Dr. Bielory warned. He also cautioned that people with allergies not overlook that pollen can be a primary trigger for potential life-threatening asthma attacks.

"Allergies, in fact, account for nearly 90 percent of all pediatric asthma attacks and nearly half of adult asthma episodes," Dr. Bielory added.

To discuss the early arrival of pollen season with Dr. Bielory and treatment options available, call Tom Capezzuto of the UMDNJ News Service at (973) 972-7273.

A daily pollen count, available both in English and Spanish, may be accessed by calling UMDNJ's 24-hour hotline at (973) 972-6518. A pollen count fact sheet also is attached to provide additional information.

--March 23, 2005