TYLER, Texas — With the spring season on its way, trees and flowers are beginning to release pollen across Texas.
If you live in East Texas, you may have noticed all the yellow pollen coating everything outside. Many people may think this is what's causing their seasonal allergies.
Dr. Johnathan Buttram, an allergist and immunologist at UT Health East Texas, says it’s not what you see that's causing your sinuses to flare up but rather the pollen you can’t see.
"The pollens that cause nasal allergies and eye allergies are what we call anemophilous pollens," Dr. Buttram said. "They're spread by the winds. The pollens that bees pick up are entomophilous pollens, they are spread by insects (and) are transferred by insects."
In other words it’s small particles blown by the wind causing irritation in your sinuses. Not the sitting yellow pollen that is usually picked up by insects.
"So really the same pollens that are in honey are not the same as what you're getting exposed to outdoors," Dr. Buttram said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control nearly one-third of have a seasonal allergy, eczema or food allergy.