MISSOULA — If you’re feeling sluggish, or showing symptoms of a cold, don’t assume the worst -- after all, pollen season is ramping up.
“We are full into tree season. We have about seven different species pollinating all at the same time, so quite a few different types and they’re all going pretty strong,” explained Montana Pollen Station manager Emily Weiler.
Even though most trees still look bare, it won’t be long before we start seeing those blooms take form, and all the colors that come with them. The juniper tree is the most likely suspect if you’re suffering from allergies, but oak, birch, alder, and elm are also pollinating.
With so many now acutely aware of their health with the spread of COVID-19, Weiler says there are symptoms you can expect with allergies that might help decipher between the two,
“With allergy season, I get itchy, watery eyes, I get sniffles, lots of sneezing, so a lot of upper-respiratory related symptoms,” she told MTN News. “Certainly, if you were to experience fever, this is a big one that’s associated with other things going on right now. That might be more cause for concern, but the normal itching and sneezing is likely the trees.”
Weiler says the peak of tree allergy season usually occurs in May, right about the time grass pollen season starts climbing toward its peak.
