Flood Water Itching & Sneezing

Post date: Sep 29, 2013 7:27:26 PM

Itching and sneezing? It might be the flood

By Andrew Bottrell abottrell@nptelegraph.com | Posted: Sunday, September 29, 2013 3:00 am http://www.nptelegraph.com

Those who suffer from weed or mold allergies might have had a little more difficulty than normal the last two weeks.

With floodwaters rushing down from Colorado at record levels on the South Platte River, the extra water — and the micorganisms it brought with it — could have caused a little more irritation than normal.

“Weed pollen and mold are high anyway [in the fall],” said Brooke Luenenborg, a physician’s assistant at the Ear, Nose, Throat and Sinus Clinic in North Platte. “You add in the extra water and as the water recedes, the ground is still wet and that will increase your mold counts.” With everything that’s washed into the river as it made its trek from the Colorado front range, it’s hard to know exactly what has reached North Platte. “There’s other microorganisms in [the water] from dead animals. Some of that can become airborne. While it’s not a weed pollen or mold, it can cause sensitivities,” Luenenborg said.

Health officials have warned Nebraska residents for several weeks about avoiding contact with any flood waters, whether it be in the main channel or diverted water into local lakes. The water is possibly contaminated from dead animals, bacteria or even raw sewage that may have made its way into the river. The increased humidity because of standing water also could have brought on an increase in dust mites. “We’re allergic to dust mite droppings and they like humidity,” Luenenborg said.

Early fall and late summer is a time of year when weed pollens and mold thrive. Luenenborg said that the peak time for allergies is Labor Day, and the pollens slowly drop off as it gets cooler. The added water this year probably hasn’t helped. “Once things start drying up, the molds will go back down. Once we get a nice hard freeze, it will kill off anything brought in by the floodwaters,” she said. “As long it stays kind of warm, and wet, people will stay triggered off.” Allergens could be worsened by rise of South Platte River