Coughing, sneezing, and sniffles are signs it’s officially the worst part of spring in DC: allergy season. According to the Weather Channel forecasts, Washington will experience a “very high” presence of tree and grass pollen for at least two weeks. We spoke to Sally Joo Bailey, an allergist and Georgetown University assistant professor of asthma and clinical immunology, about what we can expect for this allergy season—and how to survive it.
How does this allergy season compare to last year?
There’s been an upward trend in the amount of pollen produced every year. Due to the prolonged winter, the tree pollens this spring had to hold off a bit, so when we finally had nice warm temperatures with nice long sunny days, they exploded with the release of their pollens. Last year we didn’t have such a prolonged cold winter.
When do allergy symptoms typically peak during allergy season?
Tree pollen is typically in the spring. Pollen release can start as early as mid- to late-February and last until May. This year, due to the later start, it may last a bit longer. If you’re also allergic to grass pollen then you may experience an overlap effect of both pollens being released in April [and] May as grass pollen will typically release May through June.
Have you seen more patients complaining of allergies this year?
[It’s] certainly a busy season with many allergy sufferers. Even patients who were able to manage their symptoms in the past are now seeking professional help.
What are you hearing from patients about their most common symptoms?
Nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, itchy watery eyes, and in some cases, coughing and asthma attacks.
What can people do to relieve their allergies?
Keep the windows closed in your home and car. Shower once you get home for the day. Use saline nasal rinse to remove the pollens from your nasal cavity. Use rewetting drops to flush the pollen out of your eyes and change into freshly washed clothes. You can treat your symptoms with medications — many over the counter.
If these symptoms return every year, worse or not controlled with your medications or you can’t take medications, see your allergists to see if you’re a candidate for allergen immunotherapy, which comes as allergy injections aka allergy shots or sublingually as allergy drops.
Jenae Barnes previously reported and fact-checked for Capital B Gary in Indiana, 5280 Magazine in Denver, Forbes in New York and ABC News in Washington, D.C. She is a 2024 Pulitzer Center Reporting Fellow. As a DC-area native, she received her Bachelor’s from George Mason University and Master’s degree from Columbia Journalism School.
