WALPOLE, Mass — Allergy sufferers, this could be a rough week ahead. Massachusetts entered the weekend with a pollen count soaring past four thousand grains per cubic meter. For perspective, tree pollen values of 1,500 are considered ‘Very High.’ And with mainly dry, warm weather predicted for the week ahead, it’s not likely things will get much better.
Pat Feeney said his allergies usually start in June, but he’s already feeling some discomfort.
“My nose clogs up a lot -- and a little itchiness in the eyes and stuff,” he said. “So I guess it makes it tough to sleep sometimes.”
Lack of sleep is considered among the more severe seasonal allergy symptoms -- because it leads to lack of productivity at work, home and school. Bubba Weir of Norwood knows all about that. As a teenager, he suffered severe ‘hayfever.’
“There was a good 10-year period there where I couldn’t do much outside and I’m an outside active person,” Weir said. “I couldn’t cut grass. I’d just be sneezing right and left... real bad eyes, itchy eyes.”
Somehow, Weir outgrew his allergies and was enjoying the outdoors at Walpole’s Francis William Bird Park on Mother’s Day, where drifting pollen lent a bit of a haze to the air. And that pollen is settling visibly on surfaces, an annual phenomenon in Southern states, but somewhat rare in the Northeast.
“Over the top,” said John Hasenjaeger, who’s dealing with minor allergy symptoms, so far. “I have neighbors who have pools but they can’t swim in the pools because there’s so much pollen.”
But, take heart. Round One of the pollen plume is about wrapping up, as trees finish up their blooming. On tap: Round Two -- when the grasses get into the action. That’s mainly when Pat Feeney feels it.
“I can’t wait until like June’s over and then, when regular summer, July and August, stuff seems to be gone and it’s a lot nicer then,” he said. “Then I get ready for fall though.”
... and ragweed season.
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