March 25, 2016
allergies, oak tree pollen, pollen, pollen count

“I’m seeing unusual pollen distribution for Pine and Oak tree species,” says Dr. Dvorin, our expert pollen counter & board certified allergist. After counting today’s pollen and noting the oak and pine tree pollen levels, Dr. Dvorin took time to analyze his data from past spring seasons.

“Past peak levels for these trees support the common view that Oak and Pine trees are usually later-spring pollinators,” he continues. “This matters because Oak trees are one of the most common trees in the Delaware Valley.”

Dr. Dvorin goes on to explain that the sheer volume of pollen produced by Oak trees places it at the top of the list of “allergy-causing culprits” every spring in our area.  “Unfortunately, just because the season arrived early and some trees are pollinating earlier doesn’t translate into a short season or an earlier end to allergy symptoms” says Dr. Dvorin. Once the allergies are triggered, even small amounts of a trigger (like pollen) or other irritants can cause misery.

The Asthma Center is the Delaware Valley’s only official pollen count station which is certified by the National Allergy Bureau (NAB).  Dr. Dvorin has directly contributed not only to the field of pollen collection and counting for many years, but patients benefit directly from his work.  Not only can allergy sufferers learn “what’s in the air,” the allergy specialists at The Asthma Center can test whether or not what’s in the air is triggering your specific symptoms.  For example, The Asthma Center tests for types of oak tree pollen common to our area.

Did you know?

Spring sneezing and nasal congestion are just two of the many symptoms commonly associated with tree pollen allergy.  Did you know that these symptoms lead to a telltale sign on the face?  Not surprisingly, many allergy sufferers develop the habit of wiping or rubbing their nose in an upwards manner (known as the “allergic salute.”)  Over time, this can lead to an observable crease across the nose.  The habit develops, in part, because in addition to wiping mucus away, the act of pushing up the nose temporarily props open the air passages in the nostril to provide relief. 

Get Relief – Saturday appointments are available!

The best way to manage your allergies is to find out exactly what’s causing your symptoms. The Asthma Center has 9 locations in PA & NJ with the following Saturday hours in addition to our normal Monday – Friday business hours.

• April 16: Bala Cynwyd, PA  Langhorne, PA 
• April 23: Northeast Philadelphia (Welsh Road) 
• April 30: Mt. Laurel, NJ
• May 14: Mt. Laurel, NJ Langhorne, PA
• June 4: Langhorne, PA

To watch Dr Dvorin’s explanation of the El Nino effect on our pollen season, CLICK HERE.