Skip to main content
Earlier this week, the Willamette Valley pollen count hit 750, which is four times more than what is considered "very high."
But those counts aren’t out of the ordinary, says Dr. Jason Friesen, an allergist at Oregon Allergy Associates in Eugene, Oregon, who says it’s not unusual for the Willamette Valley to see counts of 800 or 900. In Portland, it’s closer to 400.
"Mild is relatively speaking, but for the Willamette Valley we haven't had too many of the monster days we see by this time," he says. "But there's no good grass season in the Willamette Valley."
He says allergy season typically runs from Memorial Day until the 4th of July, when it starts rapidly tapering off. The Eugene office is so busy during the allergy season, Friesen says, that doctors aren't allowed to take vacations during this time.
"It's cooled down a little bit so that's knocked the counts back down," he says. "So the question is: Will it be up and down? Or will we get dryer weather and it'll skyrocket? So it's a little unpredictable."
Frisen says that light rain might actually make things worse. Thunderstorms, on the other hand, can either make allergies much worse, or blow the pollen out completely.
“If you do get moisture in the air, the particles will swell and explode and they can be inhaled down in the lungs. There’s a phenomenon called ‘thunderstorm asthma,'” he says. “Really heavy rain may also be enough to knock it all out.”
Friesen also says that if you're using over-the-counter medications and they aren't helping, you should see an allergist.
Or, you can stay inside for three more weeks.