Bike Riding with Pollen

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has just released their 2013 Allergy Season Report.  At the top of the report is the all-important Pollen Score.  Three things contribute to pollen: airborne grasses, trees, and weeds.  Also contributing to our sneezing and sniffling: mold spores.

The AAFA also released their annual “Allergy Capitals” list of American cities with the worst pollen scores.  When it comes to pollen and mold look south.  The top three allergy capitals are #3 Chattanooga, Tennessee; #2 Knoxville, Tennessee; and #1 Jackson, Mississippi.  The southern states are warmer so the growing season is longer meaning pollen stays in the air for most of the year.  Springtime pollen is everywhere in most of the country.

All of the pollen, mold, and other irritants force our bodies to react.  And some bodies react better than others.  Some people on the other hand have a difficult time just being outside.  The body combats pollen, mold and others by producing histamine.  For some folks the histamine is a controlled natural release, for others the release is a hyper over-reaction which leads to watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose, pressure headaches and the like. 

The best and easiest way to avoid pollen is by staying inside.  But for bike riders this is difficult, we have been cooped up riding indoors for months or bundling up and riding in cold temps.  We want to get out in warm weather and pound the pedals on our favorite roads.  No matter where you are in the States right now you are dealing with pollen.  Allergists recommend that for people with allergies who need to be outside in pollen season the best thing to do to fight back is with a nasal spray.  That’s right—flood the old honker with a salt water nasal spray.  The stuff is not a drug nor is it a medicine so it is easy to take before and after a ride.  The salt gets into the little nooks and crannies of your beak and rinses out anything that is trapped up there.  If that doesn’t help, you may be a candidate for Claritin or Allegra (follow the package instructions).  Beyond that you may need to see an allergist.  He or she may prescribe weekly allergy shots.

One thing that may also help during the high points of allergy season is more frequent cleaning and changing of your bed sheets.  All of that pollen, and everything else that you encounter during your day, collects on your body and at night it ends up in bed with you.  

Some familiarity with the worst allergy-inducing plants may help.  Here are the top ten offenders:

Ragweed (pictured):  There are 17 different types of the stuff out there, it is tough to avoid.

Bermuda Grass: Common on golf courses and sports fields.  If you mow it wear a mask.

Maple Trees: Pretty common species.

Mountain Cedar: Found mostly in Texas and Oklahoma.

Rye Grass: All grasses have pollen but rye is a double threat because mold spores love it.

Elm Trees: We will trade the pollen for the cooling shade they provide. 

Mulberry Trees: An invasive species to America.  Originally from China, the Mulberry provided the best environment for silk worms.  Mulberry trees are essentially weeds so chop them down. 

Pecan Trees: The pollen these trees produce are some of the largest spores out there and they can clog you up quick.

Pigweed: Found mostly in the western US.  It’s pigweed that forms the big rolling tumbleweeds seen in nearly every old Western movie.

The worst pollen producer is the Oak Tree.  Oaks don’t just rely on birds and insects for pollination and reproduction like some trees.  They are also self-pollinators so they also extract pollen in order to make it airborne in an effort to further the reproductive process.  It is also another large grain pollen.

So, back to Jackson, Mississippi…  The capital of the Magnolia State is #1 because it has every one of the top ten plants for pollen.  Plus the hot humid and long summer season keeps the offenders suspended in the air for months.  For a ride of Jackson we suggest the routes along the Pearl River and maybe go in October and stay for the annual Mississippi State Fair.  One of the biggest state fairs in the country, the midway is over one mile in length.  

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