'It's hard to imagine a worse year': Pollen counts in Simcoe County 10x higher this spring
'It's hard to imagine a worse year': Pollen counts in Simcoe County 10x higher this spring
Barrie, Ont. -
Sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion, stuffy or runny nose, coughing, all common signs that it's allergy season, and this year, those symptoms were triggered early.
"It's hard to imagine a worse year than we've had this year." Environment Canada's climatologist David Phillips says the warmer temperatures, lack of frost and dry May conditions have created the perfect storm.
"Rain is important," Phillips explains. "Particularly the occurrence of rain for scrubbing the air. You get all that injection of pollen into the air, and rain actually washes or cleanses the air."
Experts say local pollen counts in April and into May were in some cases 10 times higher than previous years.
Barrie resident Jenna Burton has suffered from seasonal allergies for as long as she can remember, saying anything from pollen to grass and hay is enough to cause a reaction.
"I get really stuffed up, congested and can't sleep at night," she says.
Experts suggest showering before bed and changing clothes after being outdoors to help control symptoms.
Health-care professionals also say to take an antihistamine early when pollen counts are high to get ahead of the allergens.
Dr. Anne Ellis says wearing a mask not only helps to protect against COVID-19 but also filters pollen and other allergens in the air.
"It's obviously a physical barrier to the inhalation of the pollen particles in your nose and upper airway," the Queen's University allergist says.
Health experts say that because allergy symptoms are similar to COVID-19 if in doubt, book a test.
Hurricane Ian's most damaging winds began hitting Florida's southwest coast Wednesday, lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status.
President Vladimir Putin's latest warning that he is ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia amid the war in Ukraine has made a troubling question much more urgent: Is the former KGB spy bluffing?
Canadians continue to play hockey for Kontinental Hockey League teams in Russia and Belarus despite the Canadian government’s warning to get out of those countries.
Dozens more British Columbians died from toxic substances in August, the province's latest overdose data shows, bringing the total number of deaths reported in the first eight months of the year close to a record.
With Category 4 Hurricane Ian barrelling toward Florida on Wednesday morning, some of the state's popular theme parks. national parks, gardens, and cruise schedules have been closed or impacted.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is calling for more transparency and accountability from telecommunications companies when it comes to collaborating with the province's Emergency Management Office (EMO).
As scientists and environmental experts assess the damage left by Fiona, one of the Maritimes' essential ecosystems was severely hit and it could potentially take up to a decade to recover.
With more than 1,400 people in the field and hundreds more behind the scenes, Nova Scotia Power is continuing its restoration efforts across the province.
Outgoing CAQ Immigration Minister Jean Boulet claims the vast majority of immigrants move to Montreal, don't speak French and don't work. Party leader François Legault adds that accepting more than 50,000 immigrants would be 'suicide.'
Immigration was once again at the forefront of the election campaign on Wednesday, as it was learned that Jean Boulet will no longer be Minister of Immigration if the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) regains power.
Quebec's workplace health and safety board says design failures led to a scaffold collapse that killed two workers and injured several others at a western Quebec paper mill in October 2021.
Hurricane Ian's most damaging winds began hitting Florida's southwest coast Wednesday, lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status.
A five-year-old Hamilton boy battling brain cancer had one request: he wanted to see monsters. Earlier this month, 1,000 strangers made his wish come true.
Hurricane Ian's most damaging winds began hitting Florida's southwest coast Wednesday, lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status.
London police are investigating after a pedestrian was struck on Wednesday morning. The incident happened around 7 a.m. in the area of Southdale Road and Wellington Road.
OPP have identified the victim of a fatal crash that happened Tuesday in Meaford. Police were called to the scene around 12:20 p.m. on Highway 26 just east of Grey County Road 112 and found a head-on collision between a compact vehicle and a pickup truck.
Sudbury police are asking people to avoid the area of Grandview Boulevard in the New Sudbury area Wednesday morning as officers investigate a disturbance.
Ontario Provincial Police say the shelter in place advisory is isolated to just Wiikwemkoong on Manitoulin Island after emergency and civil alerts sent out across the northeast caused confusion and worry.
A former garage owner in Elliot Lake has been arrested in Sault Ste. Marie, more than a year after he was wanted by police for numerous fraud and theft complaints.
Windsor’s acting chief administrative officer says he made the call for the city to stop and delete a recent live stream of a media announcement regarding the future hospital on County Road 42 over concerns it would become too political.
A local drug store is paying tribute to species of concern by turning a tree stump into an artful reminder about protecting creatures and plants in Essex County.
Alberta police have seized an estimated $55 million in illegal drugs through a cross-border investigation into organized crime, trafficking and money laundering.
A 29-year-old Calgary man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a summer homicide and police believe additional people played roles in the death.
Saskatchewan experienced its largest quarterly population growth on record in the second quarter of 2022, growing by 6,465 people, the province said in a news release.
Alberta's provincial court has unveiled a new Indigenous justice strategy after two years of discussions with First Nations and Métis leaders, as well as legal groups.
Enbridge Inc. has signed a deal to sell a minority stake in seven pipelines in the Athabasca region of northern Alberta to a group of 23 First Nation and Métis communities for $1.12 billion.
A settlement has been reached in a human rights complaint filed by an Indigenous man and his granddaughter who were handcuffed by police during a 2019 incident at a Vancouver bank.
A 54-year-old anesthesiologist from a Surrey, B.C., pain clinic has been charged with sexually assaulting a patient, and authorities are asking anyone with "additional information" to come forward.
Dozens more British Columbians died from toxic substances in August, the province's latest overdose data shows, bringing the total number of deaths reported in the first eight months of the year close to a record.
