Loyola Medicine Allergy Count Resumes Weekday Reports on April 1, 2022

MAYWOOD, IL – For more than 20 years, Loyola Medicine has provided the Chicago area with allergy counts every weekday via Twitter during the allergy season. The Loyola Medicine Allergy Count will begin 2022 reporting on April 1.

Rachna Shah, MD, leads the Loyola Medicine Allergy Count. Pollen samples are gathered every weekday morning during allergy season from the roof of Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. Pollen grains and mold spores are collected from a cubic meter sample of air and counted under a microscope. The counts include daily numbers for mold, tree, grass and weed pollens.

"The daily count helps the community better understand the allergies that affect them daily during allergy season," says Dr. Shah. "When people experience allergy symptoms, they can look to our counts and identify the causes of their symptoms. It's an extra layer of security when everyone is on high alert regarding their health."

Spring allergies most often cause itchy, watery eyes and runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion and post-nasal drip. Difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath also can be caused by seasonal allergies. Allergy season commonly runs from March through the first hard freeze in October.

Trees reach peak allergen season from March to May, grass from May to June, and weeds and ragweed in August. Mold peaks occur in damp conditions throughout the season.