
When it comes to pollen allergies, there are not only bad days and bad seasons, experts with the right technology can now break down pollen counts by the hour. Specifically, pollen counts are lower between 4 a.m. and noon, a new study done in Georgia found. They’re higher between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. While experts have been monitoring pollen levels for many years to better understand them and advise patients, they typically measure counts for a 24-hour period, said lead author Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist with Atlanta Allergy and Asthma. For the new study, his team and researchers at Emory University in Atlanta used imaging technology to measure pollen in real time. The investigators found that higher counts seemed to align with rising temperatures. “Now we’ve got some real-time data and can tell patients if they’re allergic and they want to do outdoor activities, they should really do it early in the morning,” Fineman said. The research team monitored hourly pollen levels in three areas of Atlanta for a week in March 2021. They averaged pollen concentrations during the week to reduce day-to-day fluctuations caused by weather changes. Warming trends in the United States due to climate change have caused pollen counts to rise earlier in the year than they used to. Plants tend to release more pollen when the temperature is warmer.… read on > read on >