Every year, halfway through spring term, University sophomore Danielle Wills starts to suffer from a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. But she’s not the only one. Allergy symptoms will start to irritate students this month as the grass pollen season begins, making some allergy sufferers miserable for months on end.
Eugene has the highest grass pollen count in the world because of the shape of the Willamette Valley and Eugene’s close proximity to grass seed growers in Linn County, said local allergy expert Dr. Kraig Jacobson.
April and May kick off the grass allergy season that can last until early July, he said.
Jacobson said his clinic at Oak Street Medical has recorded pollen counts for the Aeroallergen Network of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology for more than 20 years. Cities around the country rarely see more than 100 particles per cubic meter, which is a high pollen count, Jacobson said. Eugene had a pollen count of 1,531 particles per cubic meter on June 6, 2006.
“We were anywhere from 10 to 20 times higher than other pollen stations,” Jacobson said. “That’s what makes things so miserable around here.”
The University Health Center sells over-the-counter treatments at the pharmacy, including eye drops that became available last week, and allergy nurses are able to diagnose patients.
At the health center, students are often confused about their allergy symptoms because they have never suffered from allergies before moving to Eugene, said Jayne Carey, lead health center nurse.
Wills said she suffers allergy symptoms only in Eugene.
“I don’t really get any allergies in Beaverton, where I’m from,” Wills said. “Every time I come to Eugene, though, it’s non-stop allergies.”
Carey explained grass seed production in Linn County, known as the “Grass Seed Capital of the World,” contributes to allergy problems in Eugene.
Jacobson said the bowl shape of the valley traps pollen in the Eugene area.
“We’re kind of like a catcher’s mitt in the fact we’ve got the Cascades to the east, the Siskiyous to the south and the Coast Range to the west,” Jacobson said. “The prevailing winds in the spring will shift and go from the north to the south.” He added the wind blows over the grass fields near Albany and into Eugene.
In Jacobson’s office, patients often have trouble determining the difference between allergy and cold symptoms, he said. Allergies will typically cause itching.
“Their eyes itch. Their nose itches, even their throat,” Jacobson said. “Their nose runs.” He added allergy symptoms typically include sneezing and fatigue and the most serious cases cause wheezing and a tight feeling in the chest.
Allergies are sometimes linked to asthma, Carney said. Asthma constricts airways, and allergies could make the problem worse.
“Asthma can be a slippery slope,” Carney said. “If we don’t get on top of it right away, patients can get ill, and it can be a scary thing.”
Nurses at the health center diagnose patients to determine if they have allergy or cold symptoms, Carney said. Each patient is examined on a case-by-case basis.
“We all have different immune systems, and it depends on what we’ve been exposed to in the past and how we’ve reacted,” Carney said.
Types of pollen that cause allergy symptoms vary throughout the country, Jacobson said.
“Compared to the rest of the country, our curse is the grass, but then our blessing, on the other hand, is that if you draw a line at the Rocky Mountains and go east, they have ragweed,” Jacobson said. “We don’t have that here.”
Grass pollen allergies usually start in April in Eugene, while ragweed causes allergy symptoms starting in August, Jacobson said.
Treatment for allergies varies but usually takes a few strategies, Carney said.
“It takes a lot of combinations of things to curb allergies,” Carney said. “One thing in itself probably won’t eliminate the problem.”
Loratadine, the generic version of Claritin, is sold at the health center pharmacy and is used to treat allergies, said Julie Boffing, health center pharmacist. Loratadine is available over-the-counter for $1.75 at the health center for a month’s supply.
Boffing said Benadryl causes drowsiness, and Loratadine and Claritin do not. Zaditor was released over-the-counter last week at the health center pharmacy for $15.95 to treat itchy eyes.
For more information, those interested can call an allergy health center nurse at (541) 346-2739 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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