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Tree Pollen Count In N.J. Soars After Wet Spring, Snowy Winter

HACKENSACK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Coughing, sneezing and itchy eyes are all signs that allergy season has hit New Jersey with a vengeance.

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Holy Name Medical Center allergy director Dr. Theodore Falk tells The Record newspaper tree pollen "just exploded" a week ago because it has been a cool spring.

"It's been intense this year. It's just the skin experience, I usually am congested with allergies but I found that this year it's been a very big itch, rash kind of experience -- mostly from the tree pollen," one woman said. "I've never been this sensitive to it."

Dr. Mary Ann Michelis at Hackensack University Medical Center says the bumper crop of pollen followed a snowy winter and wet spring.

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Dr. Mark Rosenberg at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson tells the newspaper even people who have not had problems with allergies before are having problems now.

The doctors say asthma patients have been hard hit.

One woman said she avoids opening her windows and rinses off in the shower to get the pollen off her skin and out of her hair.

Rain will bring some relief to allergy sufferers and grass pollen season is due to peak in June.

How do you manage your allergies? Let us know below…

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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