ATLANTA — We have heard from hundreds of you - you're sneezing, you're coughing, your eyes are watering - this allergy season has been awful!
Spring is blooming here in Atlanta, and it's beautiful, but it's also causing seasonal allergy sufferers a lot of pain!
A lot of you got a kick out of this picture 11Alive's Kaitlyn Ross posted on her Facebook page because it's true!
Patricia said the pollen is so bad here "you can taste it."
But is it worse this year than usual?
11Alive's VERIFY team went to the experts for answers.
THE QUESTION
Is allergy season worse this year in Georgia?
THE ANSWER
Yes, according to the pollen count, we have surpassed the numbers from the last few years.
WHAT WE KNOW
"The pollen counts are just outrageous and people are miserable," Dr. Kevin Shaffer said.
According to the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma doctor, the pollen count has been really high for a really long time.
"We have had 39 out of 45 days that we have counted where the pollen count is either high or extremely high and it's these really high levels that make people miserable," Shaffer explained.
But how does it stack up against other years?
Atlanta Allergy and Asthma ranks any day where the pollen count is over 1,000 as extremely high.
In 2017 - we had 19 days over 1,000.
In 2018 - we had 21 days.
2019 was a good year, only 15 days.
2020 saw just over it with 16.
So far in 2021 we have had 20 days where the pollen count is over 1,000 and we still have two months in allergy season to go!
"Grasses pollinate strongly throughout May and finally end in June - so somewhere around then people will get some relief," he said.
So we can verify that YES! This allergy season is worse than most.
If you want some relief, Dr. Schaffer said you should limit your time outdoors, but if you have to be outside come in and take a shower and wash your hair afterwards.
Then put a cool cloth over your eyes.