A BLOW TO NOSES POLLEN COUNTS PUNISH AREA ALLERGY SUFFERERS.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

One of the rainiest winters on record has spawned unusually high pollen and mold counts throughout the region, officials said Monday.

And allergy sufferers are, well, suffering.

Pollen counts have spiked this month to levels more than 20 times those of last August, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

``It's been really miserable the last few days,'' said Shirley Wurst, 60, of Santa Clarita. ``Today has been really bad. I've been sneezing all morning and my nose is running. It's miserable. My ears get clogged up and I can't hear.''

After a dry fall, the months of January, February and March saw 19.85 inches of rain in the west San Fernando Valley, the ninth wettest for that period on record, according to the National Weather Service. By comparison, the average for that three-month period is normally 9.49 inches.

The resulting growth in vegetation has resulted in more stuff in the air, especially pollen and mold. Pollen counts spiked in the spring, then dropped in June and July, but now are back up, according to the AAAAI.

``It's been a pretty bad season overall through the spring,'' said Dr. John Corren, a West Los Angeles allergist who tracks pollen counts for the academy.

``It was a pretty rainy winter, which caused a lot of pollen to be generated by the plants in the area. Typically we do see it slack off in July and August (but) things have been maintained pretty strong through that period of time.''

According to the academy's Web site, the grass pollen count was at 47 grains per cubic meter in Los Angeles on Aug. 1 - the highest level in more than a year. By comparison, at the same time last year, the count was only at 2 grains per cubic meter. Similarly, weed and tree pollen counts were also significantly higher than this time last year.

Corren said outdoor mold has also increased. The mold grows on outdoor debris and foliage and then becomes airborne once the weather turns hot and dry, he said.

Dr. Jacob Offenberger, a Granada Hills allergist, said some of the sensitivity is cumulative, meaning that people who started developing allergy symptoms after the El Nino rainy season a few years ago have progressively gotten worse year after year.

Offenberger said he has also seen an unusual increase in hives recently, more than he's seen for at least a decade.

``This year, we had a batch of people who never had any problem (who now have) hives or swelling of the lips,'' Offenberger said.

One of his patients, Cathleen Glass, 26, of Valley Glen, said the hives she has experienced off and on over the past two years flared up again last week.

``My face is totally swollen,'' she said. ``It's gotten increasingly worse in the last two years. The last week has been really bad. I've had hives all over my body, my arms are completely swollen. My face is completely swollen.''

Glass is allergic to trees, grass and dust, and is starting to learn to adjust her lifestyle, but resists making drastic changes.

``I can't handle the fact that I can't go outside,'' she said.

Offenberger's advice to allergy sufferers is to plan in advance when going outside or on vacation. For example, he noted, if you go to Las Vegas, remember that smoking is common indoors, so be prepared for eye and throat irritation. And when going to an outdoor park, asthma sufferers should remember their inhalers and take their medicine an hour ahead of time.

``Patients sometimes forget that people with allergies have to think before they make their plans for the day,'' Offenberger said. ``It's important to start planning.''

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SOURCE: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology