MAYWOOD, IL – For more than 20 years, Loyola Medicine's Gottlieb Memorial Hospital has provided the Chicago area with updated allergy counts every weekday during allergy season. This year's official count will resume on Tuesday, April 1. Allergy sufferers can follow @LoyolaAllergy on X (formerly known as Twitter) or visit loyolamedicine.org/allergy-count for the latest numbers.
"Spring allergies often lead to itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, and post-nasal drip,” said Rachna Shah, MD, lead of the Loyola Medicine Allergy Count. “Difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, and/or shortness of breath can also be triggered by seasonal allergies, so it’s important for allergy sufferers to remain informed of the allergy count."
Due to unseasonably warm weather in March, tree pollen season arrived a little early this year. When pollen levels are high, Dr. Shah advises individuals with severe pollen allergies to stay indoors. However, if that's not feasible, she suggests, "Pollen counts are highest before 10 a.m., so try shifting your activities to later in the day. Additionally, if you engage in outdoor activities for more than a couple of hours, it can be very helpful to come inside, rinse off, and change clothes."
In this video, Dr. Shah explains how the count is performed. Pollen samples are gathered every weekday morning from the roof of Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. Pollen grains and mold spores are collected from a cubic meter air sample and counted under a microscope. The counts include daily numbers for mold, tree, grass and weed pollens.
Allergy season commonly runs from March through the first hard freeze in October. Tree pollen generally begins to rise in late March to April, grass pollen arrives in May and June, while weed pollen is most prevalent in July to August. Ragweed typically peaks from late August to the first frost and mold can strike in damp conditions throughout the season.
For more information, please visit loyolamedicine.org/allergy-count. B-roll of Dr. Shah conducting the allergy account is available to download at this link.