WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Allergy season is coming, or possibly, already here. With flowers blooming and bees returning, many people are seeking out allergy medication to overcome the pollen.
But as Dr. Austin Sherman explains, in many cases it could just be the common cold.
“I think there is a little higher incidence of allergies,” Sherman said. “You know, we’re also seeing a lot more kind of common cold, flu this time of year.”
For those who are experiencing worse than normal seasonal allergies, Dr. Sherman recommends seeing a specialist to determine the cause.
“People who deal with more than routine seasonal allergies we’d probably consider getting them to a specialist,” Sherman said. “There are definitely some allergists in town; and what allergists can do is actually test different things that you could be specifically allergic to.”
Cape Fear Community College Horticulture Instructor Ken Wells says pollen in February is not abnormal for the cape fear.
“A lot of plants that you see blooming right now have gotten a little cold rest, so when we have these warm days, they start popping,” Wells explained. That’s not that unusual to see that all over the place.”
But although some folks may be sneezing more than normal now, Wells warns that the worst of the pollen is yet to come.
“Right about now the Red Maples are blooming,” Well said. “I don’t think the pine trees have come out yet because we’re not having that huge shed of pollen. But the red maples and some of the oaks are probably coming on right now.”
The level of pollen in the air should increase in the coming days as the weather warms before dropping later in the week, peak pollen season typically runs from April to May.