Pollen Count Soars Above 9,000

One thing that visitors and residents alike point to as Atlanta's point of distinction is its greenery.

Flying into the city, you do see how green the city is as you land at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.

But lush flora has its price: The pollen count for today is 9,369 — a record, according to the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic, which tracks it.

That shattered Atlanta's previous record of 8,164 set just a day earlier.

The clinic offers these tips for allergy sufferers:

• Keep your car and house windows closed and run the air conditioning on the recycled setting instead.
• Shower before going to bed because pollen can get in your hair and onto your skin.
• Have dogs or cats? Wash off indoor pets' paws and wipe down their fur with a damp cloth or towel if they've been outdoors. That's because they can easily track pollen indoors.
• If you can, avoid outdoor activities until early evening when pollen counts tend to be lower.
• See an allergist for a proper diagnosis of exactly what may be triggering symptoms and the development of a treatment plan.

Some of our friends around East Atlanta Patch offer some other suggestions, too.

Doug Williams, chairman of the East Lake Neighbors Community Association's East Lake Farmers Market Committee, tells us we should get locally produced honey. Adding locally produced honey to our diets should help allergy sufferers because it incorporates the types of pollen we'll encounter.

"It has something to do with helping the body recognize and break down the proteins," he told us on Facebook.

"For best results, get one from within a few miles and as fresh as possible so the pollen mix is similar to what you are breathing."

One source of local honey he suggests is Le Petit Marché, the popular eatery and specialty foods store in Kirkwood.

Ormewood Park's Marcia Killingsworth says other good sources can be found in Virginia-Highland and the Grant Park and East Atlanta farmers markets.

What suggestions do you have? What do you do to manage your allergy symptoms and get relief?