Southwest Florida Pollen Count Approaching ‘Very High” Levels

Snowbird season has ended in Southwest Florida, and while some are planning for hurricane season, there's another season we need to deal with first. Pollen season. And although Monday's rain helped reduce pollen counts, that was just a temporary reprieve. The Southwest Florida pollen count is rising and will be approaching "very high" levels by this weekend. Blame the trees.

This is not looking idea for us. Pollen travels better with warm, dry and windy weather. A look at the extended weather forecast shows that it's not likely we'll see much rain the rest of this month. Add in some double digit winds, upper 80's temperatures, and we'll be seeing some ideal conditions for pollen. Not so ideal for allergy sufferers.

The forecast for pollen shows that grass pollen will be in the 'high' range beginning this Thursday April 25th. Tree pollen will also be in the 'high' range beginning Thursday, but then switching to 'very high' this weekend and into next week. Mold, which is currently listed as 'low' will be increasing into the 'high' range by Monday.

The weather did us no favors. A mild winter and more rain than we're used to has produced a longer blooming season. Allergy sufferers can expect itching and watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, congestion, and sore throats. The usual. Just know that if you're going to be outside this weekend that this is something you'll need to deal with.

Thinking of leaving town and going somewhere where the breathing is easier. Here's where not to go. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation Of America has come out with their Top 24 Allergy Capitals list. As you'll see, no Florida city cracked the top 10.

The Florida pollen count doesn't compare to some of those places. The AAFA went on to list the 100 Most Challenging Places to Live with Pollen Allergies in 2024. Ranking at number 13 in the nation, and the worst in Florida for allergies - is Sarasota. Orlando, Florida is 16th on the list. Lakeland is at 33, Daytona Breach, Palm Bay, at 36 and 37. Tampa ranks nationally for allergies at 41. Then there's Cape Coral-Fort Myers at 44th. Miami is 48th.

Comparatively, Florida is a better place to be for allergy sufferers. Just be glad you didn't take that job in Wichita.

There are some special signs you'll live a long life and even possibly make it to 100. When you're in your teens, you might feel like you're going to live forever. But, as the years ago by, you're probably getting more aware of your fallibility and the inevitability that one day, you'll no longer be on this Earth. Not to sound depressing, but the good news is that there are these signs you'll live a long life and things you can do to increase your chances of doing so.

Before we get to some signs you'll live a long life, let's talk about the average lifespan of Americans today. According to the experts at Healthsystemtracker.org, "In 1980, life expectancy at birth in the U.S. and in comparably large and wealthy countries was similar, but over recent decades, life expectancy improved by much more in peer nations than it has in the U.S. The COVID-19 pandemic increased mortality and  premature death rates in the U.S. by more than it did in most peer countries, widening a gap that already existed before the pandemic." So, the lifespan of Americans is trending in the wrong direction. In fact, according to their numbers, life expectancy in the U.S. went down by 1.3 years from 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic to 2022. But, in "peer countries," life expectancies dropped by an average of 0.5 years in that same time window. Life expectancy in the U.S. went up by 1.1 years from 2021 to 2022, following the pandemic, but it's still "well below pre-pandemic levels and continues to lag behind life expectancy in comparable countries, on average," they note.

According to the CDC, the life expectancy for both sexes at birth is 76.4 years. For males, it's 73.5 years, and for females, it's 79.3 years. The CDC also notes that, "The infant mortality rate was 543.6 infant deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021. The change in infant mortality from 2020 was not statistically significant." They add that, "Nine of the 10 leading causes of death in 2021 remained the same as in 2020. Heart disease, cancer, and COVID-19 remained the top 3 leading causes." If you're wondering about infant mortality, the leading causes of infant death in 2021 according to the experts at the CDC were "congenital malformations, low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, unintentional injuries, maternal complications, cord and placental complications, bacterial sepsis of newborn, respiratory distress of newborn, diseases of the circulatory system, and intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia)." But, enough about death. Let's get into some things to look out for that are signs you'll live a long life. Hopefully you'll make it to 100 or older.

According to a University of Michigan study (via TheHealthy.com), "Women who consumed the most veggies and fruit had a 46 percent lower chance of dying over a five-year period compared with those who ate them infrequently. The study involved 700 participants in their 70s.

According to NBCNews.com, "Scientists in California found that middle-aged people" who ran "for a total of about 5 hours per week lived longer and functioned better physically and cognitively as they got older." They state that the "researchers tracked runners and nonrunners for 21 years." Aside from running, CNBC.com states that, "Strength training twice a week and aerobic exercise three times a week, even if for just 10 minutes a day" also helps.

For women, if you were pregnant and had a baby naturally after age 44, "you're about 15 percent less likely to die during any year after age 50 than your friends who had their babies before age 40, reports a recent University of Utah study," via NBCNews.com. Lead researcher Ken R. Smith, PhD, professor of human development at the university, tells NBCNews.com, "If your ovaries are healthy and you are capable of having children at that age, that's a marker that you have genes operating that will help you live longer."

The National Library of Medicine states that people with bigger social networks and who socialize tend to live longer. In the study, Dr. Freeman  states, "People who have more social support tend to have enhanced mental health, cardiovascular health, immunological functioning, cognitive performance, resilience, life satisfaction, stress response and more."

TheHealthy.com states that, "Women with a waist of 37 inches or more had a life expectancy that was five years lower after age 40 than did women with a waist of 27 inches or less, found one study. For men, a waist of 43 inches or more was linked to a three-year decrease in life expectancy compared with those with a waist of 35 inches or less."

Apparently, drinking one or two cups of tea a day is good for your health. "Both green and black tea contain catechins, which relax blood vessels. However, you should be making the tea yourself; in ready-to-drink teas, most of the catechins have probably dissolved already, so they don’t have quite the same heart-healthy power," says TheHealth.com.

"Researchers in St. Louis reported that men and women who limited their daily calories to 1,400 to 2,000 (about 25 percent fewer calories than those who followed a typical 2,000-to 3,000-calorie Western diet) were literally young at heart — their hearts functioned like those of people 15 years younger," says NBCNews.com. So, make every calorie count, and keep calories low.

Getting a good night's sleep is important to overall health. According to CNBC.com, getting good sleep is one of the factors to make it to age 90. So, turn off Netflix and get some shut eye.

Do you wake up each day with a purpose? Do you feel needed in this world? According to a 2014 study in the journal of Psychological Science, having a sense of purpose means you'll have a longer life. In the study, they report that people in the study who passed away, about 10% of the participants, had reported lower scores for purpose in life.

The experts at Media.nmfn.com actually have a lifespan test that you can take online. I took it, and I won't divulge the age is says I'll make it to, but I was happy and pleasantly surprised by the result. It asks you some basic health and family questions. Take the test here, and hopefully you'll be happy with the result.