Pollen Alert!

This spring, we’ve managed to avoid heavy dust storms blowing in from the Gobi Desert, yet everything is still covered with a bright, yellow dust. Turns out, this year Nature is out to get allergy sufferers. If you use the link on the UlsanOnline weather page, you can keep track of pollen levels to help manage your sypmtoms.

It seems this year that the trees have turned against us all, and are unleashing “Dangerous” to “Very Dangerous” levels of pollen upon our unsuspecting eyes, noses and throats. According to the above site, this week, tree pollen levels will vary between 162.4 grains of pollen/m3 on Thursday, which is well into the Danger Zone (got Kenny Logins stuck in your head now? You’re welcome!) and 550.1 on Tuesday, which ranks in the Very Dangerous level.

Now, before you freak out too much over their choice of words, know that “Dangerous” means even people with slight allergies will show symptoms, and “Very Dangerous” means most people will show allergy symptoms, such as itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose and sore, itchy throat. Probably not deadly, but certainly irritating.

If you are prone to allergies, or if you are bothered by these symptoms, head to your local pharmacy (Yeok-guk) and ask for medicine for allergy. This is easy even if you have no Korean language skills, as the Korean for allergy is allergy (gotta love Konglish!). Friends have recommend Zyrtec (as does the pollen website).

The good news is that levels for grass and weed pollen, and mold-spores are all well within the “Faint” range, meaning that unless you are particularly sensitive, they shouldn’t be bothering you too much.