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| S P E C I A L | El Niño Returns |
Allergies worse than usual? Blame El Niño
February 24, 1998
A mold covered driveway in northern California
Web posted at: 11:47 p.m. EST (0447 GMT)SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- El Niño is not only to blame for the storms that have devastated California in recent weeks. Doctors say it is also the cause of a high mold count that is making allergy sufferers miserable.
Sue Brown said she has suffered this year like never before. "My skin is even broken out this year," she said.
Allergist Dr. Robert Deitz attributes the suffering of Brown and others to a high mold measurement. In February, the mold spore count is typically between zero and 100. This February, it has been above 8,000, he said.
"It's probably the highest I've seen here in the San Francisco Bay area," Deitz said.
With a pile of medications, Brown is one of the allergy sufferers coping with the situation -- but just barely.
"My staff knows I'm coming because my keys jingle and I'm coughing in the morning," she said.
Unfortunately, even the end of the rains may not bring relief to those with allergies.
Allergists say that heat will help breed dust mites, and grasses irrigated by the warm winter rains will produce large amounts of pollen.
Correspondent Greg Lefevre contributed to this report.
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