March 18, 2026 | Black & Kletz Allergy
Well, it is this time of the year again. The time when pollen-allergic individuals are happy for the nicer weather, but often dread its consequences. For some, the relentless release of tree pollen causes a wide variety of annoying symptoms to occur, which is typical in the Spring in the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland metropolitan area. Is also time for many individuals to seek care from a McLean allergist.
In the Washington DC area, trees begin to pollinate in February, reach a peak in April, and taper off in May, although some trees pollinate throughout the late Spring to the early Summer. Certain trees (e.g., maple, elm, juniper. alder) pollinate in the early Spring and certain trees (e.g. oak, birch, pine, sycamore) pollinate in the later Spring. One can always ask their McLean allergist for the exact timing of particular trees, if interested.
A question that many individuals living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area always ask is, what causes the yellowish coating of the cars that occurs every Spring? The answer is pine trees. It just so happens that pine tree pollen is very large in size and heavy, so it tends to land on surfaces. As a result, pine tree pollen is not very allergenic because it is too heavy to float in the air. Ironically however, oak tree pollen is highly allergenic and it is released at the same time pine tree pollen is released. Unlike pine tree pollen, oak tree pollen is small in size which allows the pollen grains to enter the nose and sinuses easily, triggering immune and allergic reactions. Oak tree pollen is one of the main culprits for causing allergies in our area. In fact, oak trees are the major tree in our area that seems to produce the most amount of allergic symptoms in patients. The Washington area has millions of oak trees in its forests and neighborhoods. They are one of the dominant native trees in the Mid-Atlantic region. When the pine trees release pollen all at once, it creates that famous yellow Spring haze, but the pine tree pollen is generally not causing allergic symptoms in most of the allergy sufferers. Simultaneously however, the oak trees are also releasing their pollen which does bother tree pollen-sensitive individuals causing them to have the classic hay fever (i.e., allergic rhinitis) symptoms. To put this in perspective, a single large oak tree can release billions of pollen grains in one season. This fact gives an insight as to why so many people at this time of year seek a McLean allergist to help relieve these bothersome symptoms that result from exposure to tree pollens in allergic individuals.
Washington, DC tends to have more tree pollen than many cities in the United States. This occurs for several different reasons. The Mid-Atlantic originally had dense oak–hickory forests. Even today, much of the area around DC (i.e., Maryland and Northern Virginia) still has large tree coverage. The major tree pollens (e.g., maple, hickory, sycamore, birch, oak) are wind-pollinated, which means they release a lot of pollen into the air. In fact, Washington was designed with large green spaces and tree-lined streets. The parks (i.e., Rock Creek Park, National Mall, and Arboretum) plus the neighborhood trees create a huge urban canopy. Roughly 35–40% of the city is covered by tree canopy, which is very high for a major city. It is thus understandable that many tree pollen-sensitive individuals often look for a McLean allergist in the Spring in order to diagnose and treat the unwanted symptoms that result from being exposed to so much tree pollen.
In addition to the numerous trees in Washington, DC, landscapers in the 20th century preferred male trees because they do not produce fruit or seeds that could fall on the sidewalks of the nation’s capital. The problem is that male trees produce all the pollen. While being a good choice for the aesthetics of the city, it unfortunately was not a good decision for tree pollen-allergic individuals. Also, Washington, DC’s warm and early Springs, windy days, and dry periods all tend to be the perfect combination of factors or the “perfect storm” to produce very intense pollen seasons.
The characteristic allergic symptoms experienced by allergy sufferers may include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, itchy nose, itchy throat, sinus headaches, snoring, itchy eyes, watery eyes, and/or redness of the eyes. Individuals with asthma may develop a worsening of their asthma. These individuals may complain of chest tightness, wheezing, coughing, and/or shortness of breath. Patients with moderate to severe signs or symptoms of the pollen allergies should see a McLean allergist for diagnosis and treatment.
The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (i.e., hay fever) and/or allergic conjunctivitis (i.e., eye allergies) begins with the McLean allergist obtaining a comprehensive history and physical examination. Allergy skin testing, and/or occasionally allergy blood testing, is usually performed in order to determine if and how allergic a patient is to a specific aeroallergen. A board certified McLean allergist would be the person to see if one lives in the vicinity. If our McLean office is not convenient, Black & Kletz Allergy has another office locations on K Street in Washington, DC, as well as an office in Manassas, VA.
The treatment of allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis mainly consists of avoiding the allergen, if possible and using medications designed to treat allergies. Medications may include antihistamines, decongestants, leukotriene antagonists, nasal corticosteroids, nasal antihistamines, nasal anticholinergics, nasal mast cell stabilizers, ocular antihistamines, and/or ocular mast cell stabilizers. In addition to medications, allergy immunotherapy (i.e., allergy shots, allergy injections, allergy desensitization, allergy hyposensitization) is very efficacious. It typically helps about 80-85% of individuals who take them. The average length of time on allergy immunotherapy is approximately 3-5 years. Seeing a board certified McLean allergist like the ones at Black & Kletz Allergy may be beneficial because they can diagnose and treat these maddening allergy symptoms in order for you to have a better quality of life.
The board certified allergists at Black & Kletz Allergy will promptly answer any questions you may have regarding tree pollen allergies and asthma. Our allergists have been diagnosing and treating seasonal allergies as well as all other types of allergies in the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland metropolitan area for more than 50 years. We have 3 convenient locations in the DC metro area with offices in Washington, DC, McLean, VA (Tysons Corner, VA), and Manassas, VA. There is on-site parking at each location and both the Washington, DC and McLean, VA offices are Metro accessible. There is a free shuttle that runs between our McLean, VA office and the Spring Hill metro station on the silver line. To schedule an appointment, please call us at any one of our 3 locations. Alternatively, you can click Request an Appointment and we will respond within 24 hours by the next business day. Black & Kletz Allergy is dedicated in providing the most up-to-date diagnostic and treatment modalities in the field of allergy, asthma, and immunology.
