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Resources for Medical Professionals
Learn more about common allergic diseases, symptoms, management paradigms, and testing considerations.
Is your patient a candidate for specific IgE testing?
Get detailed information on whole allergens and allergen components.
Ready to test a patient?
Access videos and webinars delivered by key experts in the field of allergy.
Everything to Know About Pollen Count
February 2025 | ✓ Medically Reviewed by: Gary Falcetano, PA-C, AE-C
A licensed Physician Assistant with more than 25 years of diverse experience in emergency and disaster medicine, primary care, and allergy and immunology, Gary Falcetano is the U.S. Clinical Affairs Manager for Allergy in ImmunoDiagnostics at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Spring allergy season might be the most hated time of year if you are part of the 26% of adults in the United States who suffer from seasonal allergies and the sneezing, watery eyes, and endless amount of tissues that likely go along with it.1 If you’re among that segment of the population, you may think all hope is lost and you just have to power through “pollen-palooza.” After all, you can’t stop grasses, trees, and weeds from pollinating.
But knowing how much pollen is in the air at any given time means you can make informed decisions about your daily activities to better avoid triggers. If pollen count is high on a Monday morning, for example, you can wait until the evening to get in your daily run.
You might be thinking, “OK that’s good to know, but how does one track pollen?” Glad you asked. Here are answers to six frequently asked questions about pollen count.
What is a pollen count?
A pollen count tells us how much pollen is in the air at a certain time. It’s based on the measurement of pollen grains in a cubic meter of air over a specific period.2 The higher the pollen count, the greater the concentration of pollen in the air. That means people with seasonal allergies (also called "hay fever" or allergic rhinitis) have an increased chance of experiencing allergy symptoms.
If you have seasonal allergies and you see a high pollen count on a given day, you can take steps to limit your exposure and reduce your risk of symptoms flaring up. Keep your windows closed, for example, or maybe skip some planned yard work and move that task to another day when pollen counts are lower.
What are common pollen types?
Pollen is the male fertilizing agent of flowering plants.3 Some plants have large pollen that is carried by bees and other insects.3 However, many trees, grasses, and weeds have small, dry pollen grains that are blown by the wind, and these are the pollens that can cause allergy symptoms.3
Tree pollen:
Trees typically produce pollen in spring. Some of the common culprits for spring allergies include birch trees, which grow throughout North America and produce pollen as early as January, and oak trees, which have many different species growing throughout the U.S. Cypress trees are another common allergic trigger, but these will produce pollen up to seven months out of the year.
Grass pollen:
Grasses are found everywhere, and they typically produce pollen in spring and summer. Numerous grass species cause allergic reactions, such as ryegrass, which is found in lawns, roadsides, and even as agricultural feed. Timothy grass is another common trigger — up to 90% of people with a grass pollen allergy are sensitized to Timothy grass.4
Weed pollen:
Weeds are just plants growing where you don’t want them, but many of these plants pollinate in summer and fall. One of the worst offenders is common ragweed, which affects up to 15% of the population.4 This plant produces large amounts of pollen, particularly in late summer.
How is pollen count measured?
Pollen counts are generally taken with an air-sampling device. The device uses sticky rods that test the air on a regular basis. Every 24 hours or so, these rods are then examined for the number of pollen grains covering the rod. The count is converted into units of grains per cubic meter of air. Fortunately, these measurements are eventually calculated into an amount that makes sense to the general public: low, moderate, and high.
How can you check the pollen count?
There are a few tools that provide timely information that allows you to consistently monitor pollen levels, so you can ultimately better manage your symptoms. One of them is pollen.com, which provides daily allergy forecasts that show the upcoming airborne allergen conditions in your local environment. Simply visit the website and enter your zip code to get a clear picture of the allergy and pollen forecast in your area.
When are pollen counts highest?
Pollen levels vary depending on the location and season, and they're directly connected to weather conditions. Warm, dry, and windy conditions have high pollen levels, while rainy and/or cool weather dramatically drops pollen levels. The spring season is typically when pollen levels are highest, as grasses and trees are blooming in full force. Recent studies have found that midday is the worst time for a high pollen count, while early morning has the lowest.5 It is important to note that many plants pollinate year-round, so checking pollen counts every day throughout the year is recommended.
What is considered a high pollen count?
It depends on which type of pollen you're counting. Remember, these numbers are the number of pollen grains per cubic meter of air:6
- Tree pollen: 90 or above = high
- Grass pollen: 20 or above = high
- Weed pollen: 50 or above = high
So what now?
While there’s nothing you can really do to prevent every microscopic speck of pollen from entering your personal space, checking pollen counts daily and knowing what to do with that information can help mitigate symptoms —and potentially reduce your tissue budget. Learn more about pollen allergies.
Tools for Understanding Allergies
Track allergy symptoms and prepare for a visit with a healthcare provider.
Learn about specific allergens, including common symptoms, management, and relief.
Are you a healthcare provider? Get comprehensive information on hundreds of whole allergens and allergen components.
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/allergy_and_asthma/allergy_and_asthma_statistics_85,P00037.
- https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/04/01/how-do-we-count-pollen-anyway.
- https://www.pollen.com/help/about.
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Create a summary of your allergy symptoms in a downloadable document
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Allergy Symptom Questionnaire
Allergies affect us all differently. This questionnaire will summarize your specific allergy symptoms to share with your healthcare provider and learn more about your testing options.
- Create a summary of your allergy symptoms in a downloadable document
- Share the summary with your healthcare provider for a productive conversation about allergy blood testing
- Gain an optimized diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan
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Create a summary of your allergy symptoms in a downloadable document |
Create a summary of your allergy symptoms in a downloadable document
|
Share the summary with your healthcare provider for a productive conversation about allergy blood testing |
Share the summary with your healthcare provider for a productive conversation about allergy blood testing
|
Gain an optimized diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan |
Gain an optimized diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan
Purchase the same tests your doctor orders and get insights into your health. Our convenient allergy tests can measure your immune response to common allergies found in the air, in foods and with pets.
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Get insights about your health, when you want them. Test for 15 common food allergens and up to 25 common indoor and outdoor respiratory allergens. You will have the option to discuss your results with an independent physician at no extra cost.
- Visit questhealth.com to purchase your allergy test, no doctor visit required
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MINUTECLINIC AT CVS
We’re here when you need us
High quality and affordable health care is available on your schedule. Our board-certified providers can perform an exam, evaluate your symptoms, and test you for allergies to create a personalized treatment plan.
Appointments available in-person and virtually 7 days a week, including evenings
- Schedule online, in-person or in the CVS Pharmacy App
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- Most insurance plans accepted
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