Katelyn Wilburn, Campus Carrier staff writer
The pollen count in Atlanta has broken a 35-year record twice this spring. As Berry College is a large campus with plenty of plants that produce pollen, the college is also experiencing the effects of high pollen counts, testing students, staff and visitors’ allergies.
Atlantaallergy.com reports the pollen counts from April 1st to April 6th to range between 4,239 to 7,067, April 2nd being the highest. According to the Weather Channel, a new record was set on March 29, when the pollen count in Atlanta soared to 14,801. The revious record was 9,369, set in 2012. The top contributors begin with trees, a list that includes oak, pine, sweet gum, mulberry and sycamore, as well as grass and weeds.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, those with pollen allergies who breathe in pollen-heavy air may experience symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, irritated throat and and wheezing. Pollen can also aggravate asthma symptoms.
Pollen can seriously trigger allergies, especially when exposed to such a high count. With Berry being such a large campus, with plants and flowers at every corner, this could affect students on a day-to-day basis, such as when they walk to class or with outdoor events the college may hold.
“My roommate gets bad allergies,” sophomore Ryan Luttrell said. “He said his eyes get itchy, and he’s been taking allergy medicine a lot and trying to stay indoors more.”
Many students mention the usage of allergy medications, such as antihistamines or decongestants. These can relieve pressure in the sinus system, getting rid of itchy eyes or a runny nose, but can also have side effects on a student’s everyday life. Cleveland Clinic said the most common side effects are dry eyes and mouth, drowsiness and reduced coordination, blurred or double vision, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, along with low blood pressure. Another way that helps people on campus cope is keeping walking spaces cleaned, which is usually done by Berry’s Grounds Crew.
“I’ve noticed that a lot of sidewalk cleaning has been happening, so there are always people out cleaning and groundskeeping because of it, because it gets everywhere,” freshman Annelise Mullineaux said.
Although this affects many students and staff on campus, there are also individuals who do not feel the pollen effects at all, such as freshman Eloise Lang.
“A lot of students are struggling because I see them, and they’re like ‘I’m not sick, I promise! It’s just pollen,’ when I didn’t even ask, I don’t dislike pollen,” Lang said.
Pollen can have a huge effect on some students but not others. Allergies often depend on the person, place and situation they are put in. Another reason this pollen season is so prominent is due to the intense talk around its record-breaking count. The Berry community has developed a whirlpool of conversations around the pollen in the area.
The continuous talk surrounding the high pollen count could be a serious factor in the community’s concern regarding its effects. Nevertheless, the pollen concern is still real, as the month of April has been considerably higher than other times.
According to the Allergy, Asthma and Sinus Center, the arrival of tree pollens in Georgia starts early, beginning in late February, and allergy season can stretch until June when grass and weed pollen add to the pollen count, curtailing outdoor activities.
Although pollen may greatly affect the allergy-burdened, it is essential to Earth’s environment and overall cultivation.
It is an essential ecological survival function, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Without pollinators, the human race and all of Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems would not survive. Of all 1,400 plants grown around the world, such as those that produce our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80% require pollination by animals.
As pollen keeps the world as we know it running, the over-production seems to also be deemed as a betterment to our ecosystem. Unfortunately, for Berry students walking across campus to class, their watery eyes and sneezes can explain some negative effects of pollen piles we see on top of cars, puddles and outdoor tables.