Why has early pollen been so bad this year in the Carolinas?
A cold end to winter, combined with a surge of March warmth, has allowed for many trees to pollinate at the same time.
LINK:https://www.wcnc.com/article/weather/early-pollen-allergies-extreme-charlotte-north-carolina/275-e5d66630-b069-4ff8-a88c-8f565d3fdb2dCOMMENT:Bam! I just got hit with some allergies overnight! For me it was just a runny nose and little headache all night! Could be worse.. just took a antihistamine and decongestant... I wear a mask all the time outside but that certainly didn't keep allergies from getting me through my clothes or seeping into home somehow!
Factors for me:
Spent the whole day outside yesterday even though I masked
Didn't have air purifiers ready (So I cleaned filters for air purifiers and air conditioners and turned them on so that seems better)
Maybe I didn't wash some of the clothes I had worn all day outside yesterday (now I'm washing them)
Maybe my diet of cheese and whole milk yesterday didn't help
Ive had this happen a few times to me and usually if I limit my time outside when pollen count is up and throw my clothes in the washer and shower right away, then my allergies go away in about 24 hours..
...we shall see if I'm not better in a day! For me, just in my particular case usually these allergies almost always happen to when I mow the grass then do a bunch of other outside activities in a row. I wear a mask all the time outside so it always freaks me out a little and shocks me as to how powerful allergens can be and get inside your clothes and home I guess.
In 6 years of masking I can say Ive never been sick but maybe 3 times/days/occasions Ive gotten a runny nose from allergens. Once was when I was working on plumbing in a dark damp area.. I got a runny nose that evening of plumbing without my mask on.. so I quit plumbing and a day later I was fine so then when I started plumbing again, I wore a mask and avoided wearing the same clothes while plumbing and so I had no problem after that.. then the other two times would happen the evening after mowing the grass (even though I mask while mowing)... I never got allergies after mowing if I came inside and washed my clothes right away and showered right away ...usually the allergy would always happen if I did something like stayed outside for a super long time after mowing the grass and didn't change my clothes or shower right away after mowing. Even though I masked outside the whole time I'd still get allergies later that evening...
...It must have something to do with allergens getting on clothes and in hair and seeping into home somehow because my mask is always on outside. I guess I'm bringing it indoors or it just gets inside the house naturally from nature. Any way that's about three times in 6 years of masking that I've ever gotten any kind of runny nose. So far far Ive managed it so when allergies strike they have have only lasted a day for me tops. A runny nose is an extremely rare event for me. We shall see if using air purifier and washing clothes and not spending prolonged period outside during high pollen count does the trick again for me! Ive have never had allergens or allergy symptoms for more than a day in six years so we shall see how I feel tomorrow after having cleaned the air filters on the air purifiers and the air conditioners and after having washed yesterday's clothes better and perhaps I'll limit my time outside.
lol.. Just the fact my nose started running feels totally crazy and freaky for me because I am such a die hard masker and never get sick! I feel perfectly fine but like I said its just a weird sensation having a runny nose whatsoever ..so far it has never lasted long longer than a day lol.. So when I get a runny nose its like a total shock to the system..lol
The Masked Man
P.S. It sounds kind of crazy but now its like I have to
mask the home. I have to go the extra mile and cock the windows better..make seals airtight.. keep filters clean vacuum etc. Ive neglected some of that and its time for me to put some elbow grease into it. Ive got to to a better job of "masking" the home from certain elements and the weather!
UPDATE:March 15th 2026I guess the antihistamine and the decongestant medicine did the trick and all the other little things I did worked pretty fast. I seem to be fine again.. nose stopped running ... now I just need to sleep.. the allergy medicine must have kept me up all night.
