Blossoms on trees can signal misery for allergy sufferers.
Every spring, tree pollens start the seasonal allergy season, which is growing longer because of climate change and adding to the duration of symptoms for 81 million Americans.
Even before residents of Northeast Pennsylvania see buds on oak, birch, cedar and other trees or before yellow dust coats their cars and patio tables, pollen can be aloft,
“Trees can send pollen up to 70 miles” Dr. Puneet Bajaj of Geisinger Health said so Northeast Pennsylvania is in range of trees in Southeast Pennsylvania that bloomed before Easter.
Pollen from trees in spring are small enough to enter eyes, nasal passanges and lungs, as are pollens from grasses in summer and ragweed in fall, said Bajaj, who chairs Geisinger’s Department of Allergies and Immunology.
Flowering trees such as cherry and dogwood and garden flowers tend to have larger pollen grains that aren’t as likely to slip past nasal hairs or the body’s other barriers.
While pollen is natural, some people’s immune systems treat it like an invader and counterattack.
Histamines, one of the chemicals the immune system sends in reaction to pollen, can cause sneezing, wheezing, watery eyes and other symptoms such as mucus buildup and itchy mouth and skin.
Dr. Puneet Bajaj, chief of Allergies and Immunology Department for Geisinger Health. (Submitted Photo)
“It can become a frustrating set of symptoms,” which can cause sleeplessness and reduce productivity of workers and students, Bajaj said.
Patients this spring have started to call him for advice and refills of prescriptions.
Antihistamines in over-the-counter drugs like Zyrtec and Claritin counter allergic reactions without causing drowsiness, and Bajaj recommends that his patients take one a day through the allergy season.
Nasal sprays with steriods like Flonase can reduce swollen nasal passages, and nasal rinses or neti pots can wash pollen from nasal passages. With neti pots, use sterile water to prevent other infections.
Drugs like Singulair block leukotriene, another chemical released in response to pollen or other allergens. But they can cause depression and require a prescription.
People who are debilitated by allergies, including outdoor workers, can consider allergy shots. They receive a weekly injection for about six months and then monthly injections until they build up a tolerance to the allergens, Bajaj said.
Lehigh Valley Health Network Hazleton’s Christine Wysocky DNP, talks about allergy season at her North Vine Street office on Friday, April 10, 2026.(John Haeger / Staff Photographer)
Christine Wysocky, a nurse practitioner in family medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Hazleton, said to watch the weather.
Dry, windy days typically have higher pollen counts than rainy days.
Thunderstorms, however, are being associated with higher pollem counts and hospitalizations for asthma, possibly because they break pollen and mold spores into smaller particles that are easier to inhale.
Weather forecasting apps predict pollen counts, too, and give patients a chance to minimize outdoor time when pollen levels are high.
AccuWeather said the outlook for tree pollen in Northeast Pennsylvania is very high on April 14 and 15 and high the rest of the week.
Pollen levels generally rise through the morning and decline afternoon.
Wearing a mask when cutting grass, for example, can ward off pollen.
After returning indoors, it helps to shower or wash your hands and face and change clothes to divest yourself of pollen, Wysocky said.
Closing windows and running air filters reduces pollen. Carpet catches pollen so Wysocky recommends vaccuuming daily or opting for hard floors.
Other respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can worsen in allergy season so Wysocky recommends that those patients be more careful to avoid pollen.
She said to contact a doctor if symptoms are worsening or they have frequent nose bleeds or severe nasal pressure.
A map by Climate Central shows changes in growing season that can translate to longer allergy seasons. (Climate Central)
As climate warms and there are more days without frost, trees and other plants bloom earlier; and the pollen season lengthens. Carbon dioxide levels promote plant growth and pollen production, particularly in grasses and ragweeds.
An analysis found the frost-free growing season increased in 172 of 198 North American cities between the 1970s and 2013-2024. The analysis by Climate Central noted increases in season length of 4% in Wilkes-Barre, 7% in Harrisburg, 11% in Philadelphia but a decrease of 1% in Central Pennsylvania.
Wysocky also said plants from the south can migrate, exposing residents of Northeast Pennsylvania to new pollens to which they might be allergic.
Community members walk past the Everhart Museum at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Monday, April 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A community member walks through Marywood University’s campus in Dunmore on Monday, April 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A bee inspects a flowering tree near the Everhart Museum at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Monday, April 13, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A man takes a pause under a canopy of cherry blossom trees on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton Monday, April 13, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A pedestrian walks through Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton Monday, April 13, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A pedestrian walks past cherry blossoms on the N. Washington Ave. side of Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton Monday, April 13, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A pedestrian walks past flowers that are planted at Christopher A. Doherty Park on Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton Monday, April 13, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)