We all know someone who is hyper allergic to pollen. The truth is that many of us will be at risk of allergic symptoms this fall as the pollen count goes up even if we aren’t hyper allergic. A lot of people get allergies and don’t even realize that pollen is the reason behind it. By learning more about pollen, you can also learn to limit your exposure. Next time you search for “Mt. Pleasant tree services”, think of us at Connor Tree Service.
Let’s talk more about pollen.
What is Pollen?
So what exactly is this annoying thing that causes us to sneeze, itch, and have watery eyes? Scientifically, pollen grains are known as “microgametophytes” of seed plants. They are responsible for producing male gametes, which are basically sperm cells. These sperm cells later find their way to the female ‘stigma’ of the same plant, which ends up resulting in fertilization.
Pollination is how plants create offspring and where the next generation begins. Therefore, pollen has the leading role in creating baby plants.
Get an assessment and quote from Connor Tree Service today.
So What Does It Look Like?
How Does Pollen Get Around?
Unlike humans, pollen doesn’t have the luxury of being picky about what bed they wake up in. Pollen does its thing after being moved around by the wind, water, and insects. We notice it the most when it travels through the wind because that’s the part that gives us allergies. Plants have the ability to release billions of grains at once, which is nature’s failsafe way of making sure that they reach female plants eventually.
The Connection Between Weather and Pollen
The weather has a significant impact on predicting allergies from pollen. Windy and dry weather in particular offer the ideal conditions for pollen travel due to how light and small pollen is. Pollen levels start to go down after a few cold and wet days go by. All we can really do is just closely monitor pollen conditions and make predictions at the street level before taking any proactive action like allergy meds.
The time of day and season also have a strong connection to pollen levels. In general, mornings have the highest levels of pollen. With that in mind, it’s generally a good rule of thumb to save any fun outdoor plans for later in the afternoon or perhaps after a heavy rain because this is when pollen levels are lower.
When seasons change, pollen levels change drastically. For example, a mild winter could signify an earlier onset of allergies since trees and plants will begin pollinating earlier than usual. If mild conditions persist into the spring, high levels of pollen can also be expected earlier in the season.
If You’re Allergic
Roughly 20% of the American population is allergic to pollen. If you’re a sufferer, you should be on the lookout for dry conditions and drought in the growing season. This is because trees and plants will be growing slower at this time and are less likely to be actively pollinating. With that in mind, a wet growing season will have the opposite effect since rain will definitely aid trees and plants that really want to produce their pollen.
You should actively monitor temperatures levels, especially during the spring because it’s such a crucial time for determining and making educated guesses about pollen levels. High temperatures and warm air go hand in hand with increasing pollen counts. But even a sudden freeze or drop in temperature is able to stop pollen in its tracks.
Get ahead of the problem and ask your doctor in advance of seasonal allergies for remedies that can be taken in advance of exposure. Keep your windows closed and use your air conditioning to filter out pollen. There are many different types of pollen allergies and different plants and trees that you could be allergic to. It’s recommended to get the right diagnosis from your doctor to determine what exactly is specifically triggering your symptoms.
Final Thoughts
Pollen is here to stay. This pesky plant sperm powder is treated by many of our bodies as a toxic and foreign substance, but overall it’s good for the world. After all, we wouldn’t have much oxygen without trees and we need pollination for trees to exist. Almost all of the world’s seed plants need to be pollinated. Again, next time you search for “Mt. Pleasant tree services” think of us first. To be clear, tree trimming in Mt. Pleasant, SC as well as other tree services is best done by Connor Tree Service. If you want to get started, you can get in touch here.
