Juniper pollen drives heavy allergy season

Runny nose? Itchy eyes? Sneezing, coughing, feeling low? Join the crowd. Many folks are being smitten by the lowly juniper tree in one of the most severe allergy seasons on record. An extremely wet spring followed by warm bursts of sunshine has convinced trees and plants, especially juniper, that it is a good time to propagate. They have pumped their pollen factories into overdrive.

Dr. Frank Trostel of the High Lakes Health Care Clinic in Sisters says he is seeing three to four times the number of sufferers complaining of basic allergy symptoms as in past years.

There are the people who have trouble every spring, and now there are people who say they have never had a problem before, said Dr. Trostel.

There has been so much pollen in the air that even when the allergic reaction has been controlled, the physical irriatation of pollen on the eyeball has caused problems, according to Dr. Trostel.

Pharmacist Tim Muir of Sisters Drug Company says the season has been, pretty incredible, actually."

Muir said that this year there has been a greater ratio of people complaining about itching eyes than in past years, and more people are suffering.

"The allergens in the air are throwing more people over the threshold of response, said Muir.

According to Bend allergy specialist Dr. Joel Depper, pollen counts, measured as the number of pollen grains per minute per cubic foot of air, are the highest they have been since first recorded in 1992.

"A modest count is less than 100, with moderate reactions seen when the count is between 250 and 750. Ordinarily, when the count is over 1,000 people will experience some severe reactions.

"This last Saturday, the count was 15,000. A week ago it was over 20,000, said Dr. Depper.

Dr. Depper said the juniper allergy season actually began about a month ago when those who are chronically affected began to suffer.

But the last two weeks has hit even people who normally don't react.

Dr. Depper said the season usually lasts through April, but because it got a late start this year, may linger until May.

Over-the-counter anti-histamines work as well as prescribed drugs, according | to Dr. Depper, but the prescribed antihistamines do not usually have the side-effects of drowsiness.

He also said eye-drops can help some people. Contact wearers need to use the eye-drops in the evening after they have removed the contacts, or in the morning, at least an hour before they put their contacts in, he said.

Nasal steroids work, but usually take a few days to become effective and work best if treatment is started before the allergy season begins.

Desensitization shots are available for chronic suffers to "tweak the immune system, according to Dr. Depper. Desensitization is 90 percent effective against juniper and other pollens.

Other than these countermeasures, a person can go inside, close the windows and turn on the furnace fan to filter the air.

Dr. Depper said no one knows why juniper is so potent. The tree affects small populations, primarily Bend and Santa Fe, New Mexico. For this reason, and because there is little commercial use for the wood, it has not been widely studied.

The bad news is that once sensitized, as in this very heavy year, more people will be more prone to a reaction in the future, he said.

If you are having a hard time with your allergies this year, or are suffering for the first time, just take some comfort in the realization that you are not alone.

"This is a unique year. There is no question about that, said Dr. Depper.