The high pollen counts recorded in Anchorage are also affecting seasonal allergy sufferers of the Kenai Peninsula.
Dr. Eric Meier with the Alaska Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Center of Alaska said only Anchorage and Fairbanks take air pollen samples.
Dr. Meier: “I tell my patients when I see them if they are from the Kenai Peninsula that whatever’s happening in Anchorage will probably be mirrored in Kenai because it’s only 60 miles are distance and like I mentioned these things tend to be wind pollinated so they do fly around the whole areas.”
According to Anchorage’s Air Quality Program, May 9th’s pollen report was 2,862 grains per cubic meter which is very high and with 95% of that as birch pollen.
Dr. Meier said that seasons have been getting longer, resulting in longer seasonal allergies.
Dr. Meier: “Things have been changing with climate change, even since I have been here in the last few years, seasons are getting a little bit longer with climate change, but birch tends to be powerful and it tends to be short, we’re talking in the order of weeks here. So we should see birch hopefully disappearing after two months looking at the most recent graph of pollination.”
He added that Alaska has a high birch population compared to other states and with wind driven pollen, rain helps.