Bozeman is Completely Covered in Tree Pollen and Cottonwood Fluff

Between the warm weather and healthy amounts of rain that the Bozeman area has seen, the entire town is completely covered in yellow tree pollen and Cottonwood fluff. The trees are all 'doing it', if you know what I mean.

The (sort of) good news, is that most people are not allergic to pine pollen. However, the Cottonwood fluff is a major problem for thousands of locals. Eye irritation, sneezing, tiredness, are all symptoms of an allergic reaction.

"While pine trees are a common sight and release large amounts of pollen, pine tree pollen is generally not considered a major allergenic trigger. Most people don't experience symptoms of hay fever or other allergic reactions from pine pollen."

Personally, nothing in my over the counter arsenal of allergy pills has done much at all in terms of relief from the Cottonwood explosion. It's incredibly hard to function normally when all you want to do is take a nap.

"Cottonwood trees are a common source of seasonal allergies, particularly in the spring when they release pollen. While the "cotton" that blows from the tree is actually seeds, it's the pollen that triggers allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Symptoms can include sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, and itching."

For those of us who are somewhat neurotic about having a clean car, this is not a great time of year. A quick wipe down of a vehicle in the evening is time wasted - the car will be covered in yellow powder the next morning.

According to the most health professionals, if the over the counter allergy medicines don't do much for you, there's not much more to be done but grin and bear it.

"antihistamines like Zyrtec (cetirizine), Allegra (fexofenadine), and Claritin (loratadine), as well as nasal corticosteroids like Flonase Allergy Relief (fluticasone propionate) may bring some relief from seasonal pollen allergies."

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