With the constant change in weather, the start of the spring allergy season can sometimes be hard to detect in the Wasatch Back.
Summit County Health Director Phil Bondurant says listening to your body can sometimes be the best bet.
“I think the greatest indicator is if you wake up and your eyes are red and your nose is running,” Bondurant said.
Another data point Bondurant said people can look at is air quality, specifically PM2.5, the measurement of fine inhalable particles with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers or smaller. Air quality monitors measure concentrations of PM2.5, which represents a mixture of chemical species, including pollen, that can penetrate the respiratory system to trigger health problems.
“We don’t differentiate in that PM2.5 what is being picked up, we just know that there’s additional particulate matter in the air,” Bondurant said. “We celebrate the warmth and we celebrate the new growth and flowers and all the beautiful things that come with spring, but there is a little bit of drawback with that extra pollen in the air.”
According to the federal government’s air quality monitor, the Wasatch Back is currently at healthy levels.
Salt Lake City and a portion of southwestern Utah including St. George and Cedar City are at moderate air quality levels. Under that level, people who are unusually sensitive to particle pollution are advised to consider reducing their physical activity level and time spent outdoors in moderate air quality.
