Pollen problem: Calgary set for seasonal allergy storm as ‘intense’ wave of pollen incoming

Calgarians being warned about an intense pollen wave

Beware, seasonal allergy sufferers: a perfect storm of pollen is coming to Calgary.

Aerobiology Research Laboratories (ARL), which monitors pollen in cities across Canada, warns Calgary is in for a “fast and intense burst of highly allergenic pollen” in the coming weeks.

“It’s not good if you’re an allergy sufferer,” said Daniel Coates, the director of aerobiology research.

“We’ve had an up-and-down season so far. A few high days, many low days, but now it’s going to get consistently high for the next few weeks or so,” he told CTV News.

Calgary’s winter-like start to spring is to blame.

Pollen from trees such as cedar, elm and poplar typically starts to burst in late March, but the cooler weather delayed that.

“Usually they’re not even around at this point in time, but they’re now colliding with pollen types that are highly allergenic that are starting to emerge, such as birch and oak,” Coates explained.

Out of the 30 cities ARL monitors and forecasts in Canada, Calgary ranks the eighth worst for tree pollen.

“We’re definitely starting to see people come into the store earlier and ask questions about allergy symptoms and the treatments that they can take to help alleviate their symptoms,” said Munima Alam, a pharmacist at London Drugs in Calgary.

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There are many varieties of allergy medications available, Alam said, and people suffering from seasonal allergies should ask a pharmacist which product is best for them when considering their symptoms and medical history.

“There’s oral antihistamines and in terms of nasal sprays, there’s decongestants or there’s steroid nasal sprays which help with inflammation,” she said.

“It can be difficult unless you’re trained in knowing the medication. So, it is a good idea to talk to a healthcare provider about what the differences are.”

According to ARL research, Windsor, Ont. tops the list for the most challenging Canadian city for seasonal allergies.