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I'm researching the Triangle area for possible retirement and ran across several threads/posts about the pine tree pollen that annually strikes the Triangle area:
1. Does it generally occur every spring in March/April?
2. How long does it generally last (2-3 weeks)?
3. Is it mostly just a nuisance, or do some individuals have allergic reactions?
4. Are there certain areas of the Triangle that are affected more strongly than other areas?
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Regarding allergies in general, Raleigh and Durham stack up pretty well on the Asthma and Allergy Foundation's list of Allergy Capitals each year. Below is the 2016 list for spring. Many areas of the country seem to be impacted by pollen and allergies.
Raleigh comes in at #84 out of 100, and Durham at #51.
The pine pollen itself actually isn't a major allergen...it's too large to really get into your system. But other pollens being released around the same time certainly do cause allergies for folks around here. Pine pollen frequently gets the blame because it's the most visible.
And yes, every spring we get coated with the yellow stuff. Amount and duration can vary, due in large part to weather. Sometimes we get temperature swings and rain that can keep the dust down and pretty much limit it to a couple of weeks. Other years it stretches out to a month.
I don't have a good feel for whether general areas of the Triangle are affected differently, but obviously at the micro level, the more pine trees in your immediate vicinity, the heavier it will be.
Most people are not allergic to pine pollen, but it can be a big irritant. It is the very visible greenish yellow pollen that coats cars. There is a lot of other more invisible pollen being produced then, too, though, and folks do commonly have allergies to that.
Everyone is affected differently by different allergens. Some people say pine pollen is an allergen, some say it isn't. Allergies can also change over the years.
In other words, I would take anything in this thread with a grain of salt. Your experience will never be the same as anyone else's.
My personal experience, which isn't helpful at all, is that I had bad seasonable allergies in NE (I take medication year round for them), and I haven't noticed any difference here. If anything they're better.
The pine pollen itself actually isn't a major allergen...it's too large to really get into your system. But other pollens being released around the same time certainly do cause allergies for folks around here. Pine pollen frequently gets the blame because it's the most visible.
And yes, every spring we get coated with the yellow stuff. Amount and duration can vary, due in large part to weather. Sometimes we get temperature swings and rain that can keep the dust down and pretty much limit it to a couple of weeks. Other years it stretches out to a month.
I don't have a good feel for whether general areas of the Triangle are affected differently, but obviously at the micro level, the more pine trees in your immediate vicinity, the heavier it will be.
I'm planning a visit for early or mid April to check out the area, and it sounds like a roll of dice whether or not the pine pollen will be hitting. But in any case, it's part of the landscape, so maybe experiencing it on a visit wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. I prefer to live in a more urban setting, at least initially, but there probably isn't much difference between cities. Thanks for the good info!
Everyone is affected differently by different allergens. Some people say pine pollen is an allergen, some say it isn't. Allergies can also change over the years.
In other words, I would take anything in this thread with a grain of salt. Your experience will never be the same as anyone else's.
My personal experience, which isn't helpful at all, is that I had bad seasonable allergies in NE (I take medication year round for them), and I haven't noticed any difference here. If anything they're better.
Good point about seasonal allergies changing over time, even in the same location. Glad to hear your allergies improved upon relocation to the Triangle area.
Most people are not allergic to pine pollen, but it can be a big irritant. It is the very visible greenish yellow pollen that coats cars. There is a lot of other more invisible pollen being produced then, too, though, and folks do commonly have allergies to that.
Great info, thanks! Love the photo of the guy mowing in Charlotte in a cloud of yellow. Reminds me of photos I've seen of dust storms in Phoenix (haboobs) that come up suddenly and coat everything in thick dust. I think the haboobs in desert states such as Arizona are far worse, however, reducing visibility on roads, etc.
Everyone is affected differently by different allergens. Some people say pine pollen is an allergen, some say it isn't. Allergies can also change over the years.
In other words, I would take anything in this thread with a grain of salt. Your experience will never be the same as anyone else's.
My personal experience, which isn't helpful at all, is that I had bad seasonable allergies in NE (I take medication year round for them), and I haven't noticed any difference here. If anything they're better.
What people "say" is often based on lack of knowledge. Pine pollen grains are very large and unlikely to get into the bloodstream to act as allergens. Like someone upthread said, it is the fact that other pollen that does cause allergic reactions is released in the same season that leads to the blame placed on pine. But there is a LOT of pine pollen. I rub my eyes too often and the large pine grains are scratchy. Thus itchy eyes. At times there are thin poofy clouds of pine pollen released into the air and you can see them waft overhead as you drive down the highway. It's kind of cool in a way, except it gets all over your car and porches.
But whenever you move to a new area, expect some sort of new pollen allergy to show up, at least for a short time. Your poor body will find something to react to, but most of the time there is an adjustment period and then you don't react as much, as your system no longer panics over this new invader. Nonetheless, a few people are plagued by allergies wherever they live, unfortunately, and their best bet is avoidance, like staying inside during high pollen days for other trees, grasses, and so forth.
I'm researching the Triangle area for possible retirement and ran across several threads/posts about the pine tree pollen that annually strikes the Triangle area:
1. Does it generally occur every spring in March/April? Yes.
2. How long does it generally last (2-3 weeks)? It depends on weather. Sometimes a few big thunderstorms seem to knock a lot of it out of the trees at once and shorten the season?
3. Is it mostly just a nuisance, or do some individuals have allergic reactions? Some folks do have allergies to it
4. Are there certain areas of the Triangle that are affected more strongly than other areas? Not that I've noticed; Pine trees are pretty ubiquitous here
______________
Regarding allergies in general, Raleigh and Durham stack up pretty well on the Asthma and Allergy Foundation's list of Allergy Capitals each year. Below is the 2016 list for spring. Many areas of the country seem to be impacted by pollen and allergies.
Raleigh comes in at #84 out of 100, and Durham at #51.
It is warm, muggy, and very green down here, so allergies are definitely a thing. Some people are certainly allergic to the pine, but you don't hear about allergies specific to the pine pollen anymore than other seasonal allergies.
FWIW, I seem to get more worse allergies in the fall (no idea to what.)
I know one extended family member that moved here from the Chicago burbs and said that his allergies were better here than in Illinois. So YMMV. I think that unless you've had tests to see what you're really allergic to, aside from "The Outdoors," its really hard to say unless you come down and see how you react.
It is warm, muggy, and very green down here, so allergies are definitely a thing. Some people are certainly allergic to the pine, but you don't hear about allergies specific to the pine pollen anymore than other seasonal allergies.
FWIW, I seem to get more worse allergies in the fall (no idea to what.)
I know one extended family member that moved here from the Chicago burbs and said that his allergies were better here than in Illinois. So YMMV. I think that unless you've had tests to see what you're really allergic to, aside from "The Outdoors," its really hard to say unless you come down and see how you react.
Thanks for the info. It's a roll of the dice anywhere you move in terms of allergies. Very few places to hide! I have "seasonal" allergies here in SE Michigan, but they seem to really be year round. I have read that sometimes when people move, initially their allergies seem to improve because the allergens are different in the new location, but eventually, in some cases, new allergies develop....
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