Cancel

gear Push settings

bars

homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Pollen clouds cover south-east USA causing allergy spikes

We're at the peak of allergy season.

Tibi Puiu
April 10, 2019 @ 4:10 pm

share Share

Nothing reminds you that spring is here quite like the sight of blossoming plants, the warming weather, and the nasty allergies. This week, pollen counts have increased across the US, which may mean that about 50 million Americans will suffer from some combination of a runny nose, watery, itchy eyes, and sneezing as their allergy symptoms ramp up.

Pollen season typically lasts from early to late spring. Pollen is a fine powdery substance, typically yellow, consisting of microscopic grains discharged from plants, trees, and grass. Being extremely lightweight, pollen is easily swept away by the wind which can transport the irritating substance miles away from its source.

While pollen is not actually sperm per se, pollen grains contain cells necessary to transfer the male half of the plant’s DNA to a compatible plant’s female counterparts (like the pistil and female cones). So, in a way, you could say that pollen is plant sperm powder.

In some parts of the US, such as the Midwest and Northeast, the amount of pollen discharged by plants was so great that the sky became covered in a yellow haze.

To get an idea of how much pollen trees can produce at the height of allergy season, watch this viral video showing what happens when a backhoe nudges a pine tree.

https://www.facebook.com/JenniferKaysenHenderson/videos/10215440284067831/

Something similar was caught on camera this week when a falling tree in Hixson, Tennessee, sent billions of pollen particles flying into the air.

During the thick of pollen season, doctors recommend people who are vulnerable to allergies to avoid being outside in the first half of the morning and later in the afternoon. After being outside, people with pollen allergies should shower and wash their hair and clothes. Over-the-counter medications like nasal sprays, antihistamines, and eye drops can also offer some relief.

share Share

This 5,500-year-old Kish tablet is the oldest written document

Beer, goats, and grains: here's what the oldest document reveals.

A Huge, Lazy Black Hole Is Redefining the Early Universe

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a massive, dormant black hole from just 800 million years after the Big Bang.

Did Columbus Bring Syphilis to Europe? Ancient DNA Suggests So

A new study pinpoints the origin of the STD to South America.

The Magnetic North Pole Has Shifted Again. Here’s Why It Matters

The magnetic North pole is now closer to Siberia than it is to Canada, and scientists aren't sure why.

For better or worse, machine learning is shaping biology research

Machine learning tools can increase the pace of biology research and open the door to new research questions, but the benefits don’t come without risks.

This Babylonian Student's 4,000-Year-Old Math Blunder Is Still Relatable Today

More than memorializing a math mistake, stone tablets show just how advanced the Babylonians were in their time.

Sixty Years Ago, We Nearly Wiped Out Bed Bugs. Then, They Started Changing

Driven to the brink of extinction, bed bugs adapted—and now pesticides are almost useless against them.

LG’s $60,000 Transparent TV Is So Luxe It’s Practically Invisible

This TV screen vanishes at the push of a button.

Couple Finds Giant Teeth in Backyard Belonging to 13,000-year-old Mastodon

A New York couple stumble upon an ancient mastodon fossil beneath their lawn.

Worms and Dogs Thrive in Chernobyl’s Radioactive Zone — and Scientists are Intrigued

In the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, worms show no genetic damage despite living in highly radioactive soil, and free-ranging dogs persist despite contamination.