AERIAL POLLEN ASSAULT UNDER WAY.

Byline: Peter Hartlaub Daily News Staff Writer

It doesn't take any high-tech instruments to measure rising pollen in the air these days - just count the Kleenex-clutching patients walking into Dr. Lewis Kanter's office in Thousand Oaks.

``They're starting to fill it up now,'' the allergist said Tuesday. ``We're getting an early lunge into the pollen season.''

El Nino-fueled rains this season and warm weather are combining to create what some experts predict will be the worst pollen season in the past four or five years.

Already, Southern California has become one giant petri dish for airborne molds - just the first wave of allergy-causing particles that allergists say are due to hit Los Angeles.

There are already pollen-producing blossoms on olive and cypress trees. Allergists say weeds will start blooming in a week or two, followed by grasses.

``Except for a few trees, everything is in the `watch out, here it comes' stage,'' Kanter said. ``Most of the stuff is just getting ready to roar.''

Whether you are susceptible to mold or pollen, doctors recommend that you keep windows closed and use air conditioning at home and in your car. For those suffering from mold allergies, doctors advise keeping living quarters dry and check the filter of air conditioners because they can collect mold.

Pollen counts peak from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.

``Typically after heavy moisture, we see that it favors mold growth,'' said Adrian Casillas, an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. ``This year it's going to be that much worse.''

Mold spores already are wreaking havoc for the one in five Americans who suffer from allergies, and they will stick around throughout the spring - regardless of El Nino's ability to squeeze out a few more storms.

``Once the temperatures start increasing, certain mold species will start to emerge, whether it stops raining or not,'' Casillas said.

However, at least one doctor believes this allergy season will not be worse than past seasons for the San Fernando Valley, because even in dry years it is irrigated - watered by man when Mother Nature doesn't come through.

``We have severe problems with allergies and asthma every spring, regardless of the rainfall,'' said Dr. Robert Robertson of Granada Hills.

Casillas points out that the allergy season is year-round in California with peaks and valleys - unlike areas in the United States where the temperature is cold enough to kill off lawns and weeds for months at a time.

Large, bright flowers tend to have larger pollen, which is less likely to trigger an allergic reaction, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Dried weeds and grasses have smaller pollen that can enter the atmosphere in large amounts.

Kanter, allergic to pollen himself, said he's already using antihistamines and nose sprays, a ``good first line of defense'' against the airborne particles. If problems persist, he said, allergy sufferers should see a physician.

While the allergy-prone sniff and sneeze, allergists and pharmaceutical companies literally are banking on the misery of others.

IMS America, a market research firm, reported that about 37 million antihistamines were sold in the United States from November 1996 to October 1997 - more than 3 million more than the year before.

Where to call

To find pollen levels in the Los Angeles area and throughout the nation, call the National Allergy Bureau's information line, (800) 9-POLLEN from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PST).

To locate physicians or get information about asthma, allergies and support groups, the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America can be reached at [phone].

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