Each spring, a wave of pollen sweeps through California’s Central Valley, triggering allergy symptoms for thousands of residents. Winds carry these allergens across the region, infiltrating homes and settling in dust and fabrics, making relief feel nearly impossible, according to Baz Allergy, Asthma, & Sinus Center.
Fresno City College student, Azaria Ford, said on campus there are a lot of trees and flowers blooming, and most of these trees and plants spray pollen on the ground that affects her while going from class to class.
“As a college student, spring is a good and dreadful thing because you are looking forward to spring break, but you also know you’re going to have to deal with allergies. Seasonal allergies affect me because the Central Valley is a pollen bowl, and it’s hard for me to breathe,” Ford said.
Ford said allergy season never makes her miss class or fall behind, but it does make attending harder. She said she will be uncomfortable in class, and it can be hard to look up at a screen or pay attention to lectures when her eyes hurt or when she has to clear her throat.
Justin Ramirez, the lead Groundskeeper at FCC, said pollen is especially heavy during the spring. Luckily, he said he has been taking his allergy medication.
Ramirez said the trees that commonly produce the most pollen are the oak trees that surround campus. He said they are near the parking lots, around the center of the campus, heading towards the cafeteria, and around the bookstore area.
“Around this time of year, especially, pine trees are producing new pine cones or needles, and stems that will have pollen pods or seed pods on them. We also have Elm trees that have already pretty much blossomed now and Chinese Pistachio trees that give a nice reddish and yellowish color in the Fall,” Ramirez said.
However, Ramirez said it is the pine trees that produce the most pollen year-round. He said this is the yellowish substance that can be seen covering the cement around campus, and his crew of seven does their best to blow it all away as fast as they can.
“We’re only 7 guys, so we have to get through here quickly. I know we have been pushing to try and get on a tree program where we can have people come in and prune them for us because a lot of these trees we can’t reach, we don’t have the capability to get up there,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez said many of the trees on FCC’s campus are historical, so removing them will not be easy. However, Ramirez also said that by living in the valley, he has noticed many people who weren’t born with allergies may develop them anyway.
“All the smog, all the trees, people change, and they may have family members who are getting older and starting to develop seasonal allergies, so folks should get themselves allergy tested,” Ramirez said.
Heather Collins, a registered nurse and the new Health Services Coordinator at Fresno City College, said right now the campus is seeing a lot of pollen, and throughout the seasons in the Central Valley, different factors occur.
“Throughout the year in the Central Valley, we see students with allergies. It can affect students, and they could get secondary infections from allergies if they aren’t treated like sinus infections and ear infections,” Collins said.
Collins said it is important that students practice good hygiene, such as washing their hands and faces and showering before bed, to combat allergens. She said rinsing these allergens off after doing day-to-day tasks like hiking, pruning, or fieldwork will help reduce exposure to airborne allergens in the short term.
“Handwashing is a really good idea all the time. Say you’re sitting on the grass and pick up pollen, and you start touching your face, not only can you pick up germs that way, but you can also pick up pollen and other allergens,” Collins said.
Raylani Boyb, an art major and English tutor at FCC said her eyes tear up at school due to allergies. She said it is especially bad on campus because of the trees and plants, and that when walking around, her eyes itch even if she takes medication beforehand.
“When I’m constantly sneezing in class, some people think I’m sick when that is not the case; my allergies are just really bad, and I tend to sneeze a lot,” Boyb said.
Collins said students can find good charts online that explain the difference between cold and allergy symptoms. She said allergies tend to be more itchy in the eyes, itchy throat, or congestion.
“What your body is doing is making Histamine, and that makes your nose and eyes water because your body is trying to rinse out that pollen, and sometimes it can be a little much,” Collins said.
Boyb said the things that help her combat her allergies are herbal tea and Zertec. She said she takes one pill a day, or before she goes to bed, because the packaging says it lasts 24 hours, but Boyb said it doesn’t seem like the pill lasts that long for her.
Collins said students should generally follow directions on medication packaging and ensure that, if they are taking allergy medication with chronic conditions, it is safe to use both medications simultaneously.
“Students can always speak with their doctor or pharmacist if they are not sure what to take. I recommend speaking to a pharmacist because they may be more accessible than scheduling a doctor’s appointment sometimes,” Collins said.
Collins said students may think allergy medication will make them sleepy, but there are newer medications that don’t, like Claritin and Allegra. She said these can be better for students who need to stay alert and awake in class.
Boyb recommends using antihistamine eye drops and allergy medications such as Zyrtec, Xyzal, or Claritin, depending on individual effectiveness. She also advises other students to use nasal spray correctly—spray it into your nose and let it sit without inhaling, as directed.
“If you have eye allergies, I’d definitely recommend Opcon eye drops or antihistamine eyedrops. Regular eye drops without an antihistamine don’t really work for me, but I recommend just anything with a solution to combating your allergies,” Boyb said
