Ragweed season is upon us, pollen counts show, and is expected to peak over the next couple of weeks.
The fall allergen had a count of 64 grains per cubic meter of air on Wednesday, a high level, according to the office of Drs. Golden and Matz LLC in Owings Mills.
Ragweed blooms starting in August and through November and causes what is commonly known as hay fever, marked by sneezing, congestion, itchy throat or ears, hives, and swollen eyelids and itchy eyes.
AccuWeather forecasts this year's ragweed season to be "normal" in the mid-Atlantic but particularly bad across parts of the Southeast and Midwest because of heavy rains this summer prompting more ragweed growth.