Are allergies really worse here in western North Carolina?
- We have stunning green vistas and a moderate four-season climate in our western North Carolina mountains. Along with the beauty we gather a “perfect storm” of allergy risks.
- Because of our mild winter this far south, we have a long growing season causing prolonged pollen seasons. As plants pollinate at different times at different elevations, our allergy seasons extend even further.
- We enjoy a diversity of ecosystems including high mountain and lush valley environments. Because of these extremes, within 50 miles of Asheville you can be exposed to every important allergy causing weed, tree and grass found growing from New Hampshire to North Florida.
Spring & Summer:
- In our mountains and foothills, trees begin pollinating as early as mid-to-late February. You will notice the red tips to the branches of pollen-producing maple trees this time of year. There follows a steady crescendo of pollen from many tree species: alder, willow, poplar, birch, mulberry, and then sycamore, oak, beech and hickory
- We have several species of grass here, including rye which starts pollinating early in the spring, and then cool season fescue grass which pollinates more in the spring and fall. Blue grass, Bermuda grass, and hay grasses of orchard and timothy pollinate all spring, summer and fall as well. In April and early May, during the peak of oak and hickory tree pollen production, our grass season explodes. This overlap may double the symptoms of patients allergic to grass as well as trees.
- We do not have the drought that a lot of areas of the Southeast have in mid-summer. Because of our steady moisture from high rain fall and misty mornings, not only do our pollen seasons last longer, but also molds flourish year-round both outdoors and indoors.
Fall:
- We have at least 12 major summer and fall weed pollens here that cause significant allergy problems. These pollinate and blow in the wind, causing allergy symptoms from June through the first or second freeze in the fall. Many years, more so in recent years, we may not have a serious second hard freeze until early November.
- After fall freezes, molds still continue to produce their spores and cause allergies. This may help explain why you are not magically better after the first hard freeze in the fall.
- Mold spore production and wind borne mold allergy problems occur 12 months out of the year here in Western North Carolina. Some of these outdoor molds may peak in late summer, fall and early winter, especially after a wet spring and humid summer.
Winter:
- The primary allergic offenders in winter are mold spores and house dust mites. Widespread outdoor molds travel indoors and mix with our household dust, even in the most tightly sealed home.
- In our misty, wet environment, growth of mold spores is a continuous year-round problem in homes, schools, and workplaces. You can observe some precautions to lessen mold production in your home, but this is not very successful in most situations here.
- House dust mites are eight-legged arachnids that live in all our homes and bedding. They are a powerful cause of allergies, asthma and sinus problems. They are too small to be seen by the human eye. They especially like to live in bedding, as their favorite food is shed skin scales from human skin.