Allergy Misery Will Be Ramping Up Dramatically

CBS Philly’s Stephanie Stahl Discusses Philly’s Spring Pollen With Dr. Dvorin

April 9, 2018

As seen on CBS Philly by Stephanie Stahl

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) —Get ready for a nasty spring allergy season and you can blame the wacky weather, which is finally warming up. The snow and cold weather the area had recently has suppressed tree pollen that residents usually see by mid-March. Now, with 70’s finally in the forecast, allergy misery will be ramping up dramatically.

“This season is an unusual one,” Dr. Donald Dvorin, an allergist at The Asthma Center. He says there’s going to be an explosion of pollen. “We’re seeing multiple species of trees producing pollen,” Dr. Dvorin said.

Looking at samples under a microscope, Dr. Dvorin gets pollen counts everyday and he says they’re high because of the late snow that suppressed early spring pollination.

“It’s highly unusual to see the early tree pollination’s and late tree pollination’s happen at the same time, which we’re beginning to see now they’re coming together.” Dr. Dvorin explained.

Jeannie DiPietero who says she’s allergic to just about everything, now depends on an arsenal of medications. She says the symptoms were initially so bad, she thought it was something worse. “I had such bad chest pain and congestion,” DiPietero said. “I thought I was having heart attack.”

Dr. Dvorin says there are a variety of allergy medications, including some new ones just available this year that can be very helpful and allergy patients should be taking their medications now before symptoms appear. “That really helps control the symptoms all the way throughout the season,” Dr. Dvorin said.

Stephanie Stahl

Stephanie Stahl, CBS 3 and The CW Philly 57’s Emmy Award-winning health reporter, is featured daily on Eyewitness News.