Southcentral Alaska has exceptionally high amounts of tree pollen in the air right now, triggering allergies for sensitive Alaskans. Anchorage pollen count stations show high pollen counts from birch, poplar, cottonwood, aspen, willow and alder trees.
Brian Farthing, a physician assistant at the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Center of Alaska, runs the center's Anchorage pollen stations, which measure pollen grains per cubic meter.
“When you look at pollen counts for tree pollen, low is between one and 14, moderate is between 15 and 89, high is above 90 grains per cubic meter, and we're in the 1,000s right now, so we're high to very high,” Farthing said.
Pollen counts in the thousands are not unheard of in Southcentral Alaska, but Farthing said it’s been about eight or nine years since Anchorage has had counts this high. He said pollen counts are cyclical and vary year-to-year; last year, he said, was an especially low year for pollen.
He said people experiencing environmental allergy symptoms like sneezing, a runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, or fatigue can feel validated.
“This time of year can be confusing for a lot of folks who are wondering if they're maybe getting sick, or maybe if it's the breakup, the dust on the roads, or if it really is pollen and it’s high and so I can say, ‘could it be one or all those things?’ absolutely,” Farthing said.
He said people with tree pollen allergies may want to limit their time outside while counts are so high, especially if they know their allergies worsen other medical conditions. He said it’s best to make a plan with your healthcare provider, but there are a few things you can do to reduce the impact of allergies, like showering and changing when coming indoors.
“We know most pollen comes out in the morning time,” Farthing said. “So, keeping windows shut in the morning time can help decrease that exposure. In your vehicle, if you recirculate your air instead of bringing outside air in, air purifiers that are rated for the room size that you're in have shown some benefit as well.”
He said those simple steps may be enough for some people. For those with more serious symptoms, he suggests people check in with their healthcare provider or visit an allergy specialist.
