With Pollen Season Coming To An End, Many Still Sneezing
(CBS) -- Pollen season is drawing to a close but sneezing continues for many according to Dr. Joseph Leija, who keeps the official pollen and mold count for the State of Illinois.
WBBM's John Cody reports the allergy counting season officially ends Wednesday with no pollen now being recorded from ragweed, grass or trees.
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An allergist at Loyola's Gottleib Memorial Hospital, Dr Leija says though pollen counts are down to zero, omnipresent mold remains very high now and is still triggering sneezing, itchy eyes and sinus problems.
Summer pollen counts averaged between 10 and 20 percent higher than normal, according to Dr. Leija's estimation. He attributes this year's high pollen count to a late spring and a wet summer and fall which caused proliferation of allergy producing plants like goldenrod and ragweed.
Dr. Leija says mold is a year round problem because it grows outdoors and indoors where it flourishes in basements, garden apartments, and in humid attics. He recommends anyone with year-round mold allergies who may be living in basement or garden apartments should consider moving out and into an upper floor where mold is less likely to flourish.
He says mold sensitive patients who continue to live in mold filled apartments can eventually find themselves with asthma.
Summer pollen counts averaged between 10 and 20 percent higher than normal, according to Dr. Leija's estimation. He attributes this year's high pollen count to a late spring and a wet summer and fall which caused proliferation of allergy producing plants like goldenrod and ragweed.
