Something to sneeze at

Thursday, March 18, 2004 | 11:06 a.m.

Pollen is sending allergy sufferers into sniffles sooner rather than later this spring, experts say.

Late winter rains and above-normal temperatures in Southern Nevada have combined to coax blossoming trees and grasses into producing pollen grains earlier and heavier than normal.

Even low temperatures this week are setting higher-than-normal records, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Donald Maker. Monday's low of 59 degrees set a record, beating the 56 degrees recorded on March 15, 2003.

Sunday's high of 83 broke the record of 82 set in 1972, Maker said. Temperatures are from 10 to 15 degrees higher than normal at this time of year.

And a dry spring could bring a double whammy from pollen and dust, a county official said.

"We've been fortunate to have a lot of rain in recent weeks, but now that spring is almost here, it's a good time of year to remind residents about things they can do to help us keep dust down," said Christine Robinson, director of the county's Air Quality Management Department.

Dust and pollen in the air can occur at various times of year, but gusty winds tend to occur more often in the spring and fall.

Air quality officials expect higher pollen counts than usual this year because more plants will bloom because of the rain, said Carrie MacDougall, assistant director of Air Quality Management.

Higher mulberry tree pollen counts are expected for the next two to three weeks, followed by olive trees and grasses in April and May.

"Our pollen readings have been rising steadily since early March," MacDougall said. "We expect to see more grass, weeds and other plants contributing to the amount of the pollen that's in the air this spring because of our winter rain."

The Las Vegas Valley ranks 25th in the nation in severity of spring allergies and 32nd in the fall, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Tree pollens are the culprits this week, said Monte Symmonds, a pollen monitor for the county's Air Quality Management Department.

"Right now we've got very high levels of mulberry and ash pollens and moderate to high levels of cedars and pine," Symmonds said.

The highest count for mulberry pollen this week was 22,000 particles in a cubic yard of air, at Sahara Avenue and Nellis Boulevard, Symmonds said.

The second-highest mulberry pollen count was 18,000 grains collected from a monitor at Griffith Elementary School near the Meadows mall on Monday.

The county collects samples from 10 monitors twice a week and then reads pollen counts in a laboratory.

"I'm sure we'll probably see higher numbers," Symmonds said, noting that mulberry pollen can reach into the 30,000-grain range.

Symmonds said that because of the week of rain at the end of February, he expects higher pollen counts from weeds later this spring.

Common weed pollens in Southern Nevada include ambrosia, the desert's version of ragweed, he said.

"There's been a definite increase in patients," allergy specialist Dr. Joel Katz said Tuesday, the first day that above-average pollen counts were released by the Clark County Air Quality Management Department.

For the next two months Katz expects his office in northwest Las Vegas to fill with patients suffering sneezing, watery eyes, fatigue and sore throats, all triggered by exposure to pollens and dust.

"Many people are reaching their thresholds and are displaying symptoms already," Katz said. "We haven't gotten into significant weed pollen yet."

The advice from county officials and medical experts for people who react to pollens and dust is to avoid areas where the number of invisible particles is highest. That would include neighborhoods with large, older trees.

People with allergies who live in such neighborhoods should try to stay inside and keep the windows closed, Katz said. Instead of letting the fresh air blow into the home, use the air-conditioner to filter pollens from the air.

Pollen tends to concentrate in the air between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., so staying inside and avoiding outdoor activities is best during those hours, he said.