There’s a Good Reason for Sneezin’ in Boise Today

Boise had some of the highest pollen counts in the US over the weekend, and the levels are up today too.  So when will we be done with the itchy eyes and runny noses this spring?  

Pollen levels peaked on April 2, and they've been up and down since then in the Treasure Valley, with another spike over the weekend.  Pollen levels were in the "high" range on Saturday and put us right up there in the red zone with several other states for the worst allergy attacks.  If you spent the weekend with a plugged nose, you weren't alone.

Pollen.com has put out a map that shows our allergy forecast, and after another spike over the weekend and "elevated" levels today, it looks like the pollen levels will get back into the normal range on Tuesday and Wednesday.  But spring is not over, so the overall allergy risk won't fade out just yet.

Do you ever wonder what exactly your body is doing during an allergy attack?  I get curious about these things and learned on Pollen.com that it's not exactly the allergens themselves that are causing the symptoms, but the itchy throat and runny nose are a result of the body's response instead.  Apparently, we're working really hard to chase out those foreign substances, and that makes us sneeze.

These are the most common allergy symptoms, according to Pollen.com:

sneezing
wheezing
nasal congestion
coughing
itchy, watery eyes
runny nose
itchy throat
stomach ache
itchy skin
hives
fatigue
irritability

Cool.  We can blame the irritability on the trees and flowers, and not on work and stubborn kids and things.

67 million Americans suffer from allergies, and there are plenty of sniffles traveling around the office today. The trick is knowing if it's really allergies, or if it's a cold that co-workers are trying to spread around.  We'll keep the hand sanitizer nearby just in case.

Spring in the Treasure Valley is beautiful, and hopefully, you can see it through the watery eyes.  Hang in there!