April 1, 2016

 “I saw the first mulberry tree pollen of 2016 today,” says Dr. Dvorin, Delaware Valley’s only official pollen and mold spore counter.

Dr. Dvorin went back to his records to see if mulberry also is running ahead of schedule. “It’s almost like clockwork for mulberry to show up today,” he adds. Just as Dr. Dvorin has observed and reported for other tree species (Oak’s no joke), mulberry tree pollen is 2 weeks early, and entering the scene at more robust levels than previous years. Dr. Dvorin’s local data for our region has, over the years, generally supported the assertion by The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology that mulberry tree pollination for our area is late April and May, sometimes extending into June. Weber, Richard W. On the Cover. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2003 May;90(5):A6.               

“We do skin test for mulberry allergy at The Asthma Center – paper mulberry and red mulberry – and have individuals who are positive, “says Dr. Dvorin.  While little research is available on the prevalence of mulberry tree pollen allergy, Dr. Dvorin suspects that as many as 1 in 3 individuals who test positive for any tree pollen allergy may be allergic to mulberry tree pollen.  Discovering the triggers for allergy symptoms and knowing “what’s in the air” can go a long way in helping allergy sufferers minimize exposures to triggers and reduce symptoms.

What’s in store for next week?

“That’s the big question,” says Dr. Dvorin.  Colder temperatures are in most forecasts for our area for the next 7 – 10 days.  “You know how forecasts can be,” he goes on to say.  “It will be really interesting to see what happens if we have colder temperatures and what effect that will have on the pollination processes in the Delaware Valley.”  Be sure to check back daily for The Asthma Center pollen and mold spore counts or subscribe to receive The Asthma Center’s Daily Pollen and Mold Spore Count email.

Did you know?

Mulberry trees are considered “street” trees because they have been popular with city planners.  In fact, “Arch Street,” in Philadelphia was “Mulberry Street” until 1853. William Penn named many streets after trees as they were “things that grow spontaneously in the country. If you’re interested, you can visit a depiction of the Olde City Map in the plaza in front of the Ritz East Theater (125 South 2^nd Street, Philadelphia).

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: our Bala Cynwyd, PA and Langhorne, PA offices will be seeing patients.
• April 23: the Northeast Philadelphia (Welsh Road) office will be seeing patients.
• April 30 and May 14: the Laurel, NJ location will be seeing patients.
• May 14 and June 4: the Langhorne, PA office will be seeing patients.

Watch Dr Dvorin’s explanation of the weather’s impact on our pollen season here.