My Nemesis, The Elm Tree

“Tree pollen, get your fresh tree pollen! Blowing steadily in from the west, it’s sure to be plentiful this year. Guaranteed to give you runny noses and itchy eyes. But wait, there’s more – Some of you lucky folks will even get sinus headaches and eczema!”

Blossoming trees, blooming flowers, and birds chirping. The telltale signs of spring are here. Yet sneaking up alongside the warmer temperatures and greener grass is a sinister character known as tree pollen. And let me tell you, this invisible monster is tricky.

I read a Times article the other day that centered on this surprising truth: allergies – frequently thought of as a childhood affliction – can spring up at any point in a person’s life. How awfully strange that you could one day hop out of bed, settle down to a crossword puzzle, a cup of coffee, and a pecan roll, and suddenly find yourself allergic to those very pecans on that very roll!

According to the Times article, a number of factors can trigger allergies, such as moving to a new city or getting a pet. Yet the interesting bit is that allergies in adults have steadily increased over the past few decades. I for one am extremely allergic to trees…the Elm is the worst of them all. But it wasn’t until the past couple of years that my allergies became incredibly obnoxious.

While there is something to be said for a genetic predisposition to allergies, a relatively new theory blames improved living conditions. To explain, let’s take a look at two fictional characters: eight-year-old Jack and his 80-year-old grandpa, Quinley (cue the irony, stage left):

A. Compared to grandpa Quinley, Jack has grown up in a world of vaccinations, antibiotics, and cleaner food and water. In other words, he has had far fewer environmental challenges.
B. Without such challenges, Jack’s immune system has not developed in a balanced way.
C. Jack is now predisposed to allergies, and unlike grandpa Quinley, he may be hypersensitive to allergic reactions. And you can bet grandpa Quinley never had to use antihistamines.

Another school of thought is that increased air pollution as well as indoor air contaminates have led to a rise in allergies (and in Kleenex sales, one might presume).

Whatever the reason for their existence, allergies can have a miserable affect on quality of life, not to mention they can increase the risk of developing asthma. But there are ways to combat (or avoid) the elements. Can we get a PSA campaign in the works here? “Kleenex is for lovers”…“Fight green trees with green tea”…etc. After all, how can we expect Smokey Bear to fight forest fires when he’s busy fighting the sniffles? I want to live with the trees, not hide from them.