Do you have the sniffles? Blame these plants

Pollen counts in Wichita have spiked since the beginning of August and are expected to remain relatively high over the next few days.

The heightened allergens in the air comes after low pollen counts from mid through late July, according to Pollen.com.

Pollen.com is a site developed by IMS Health – a research and consulting company that also manufacturers pollen counting tools. The site classifies 7.3 to 9.6 as “medium-high” pollen counts and classifies 9.7 to 12 as “high” pollen counts.

Wichita’s forecast through Friday shows pollen counts between 8.8 and 9.3 with lighter allergy days this weekend, dropping to 6.5 and 7.7.

Grasses and chenopods – a plant commonly known as goosefoot or lamb’s quarters – are the current culprits of Wichita’s allergens, according to the site.

Pollen.com shows the Midwest, Northeast and parts of the West bearing the most allergens as of Wednesday.

North Dakota, South Dakota, northwestern Minnesota, Nebraska and northeastern Kansas showed the highest pollen counts in the country. The South showed the lowest counts Tuesday.

Allergy capital

A researcher at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology predicts pollen counts will more than double by 2040, according to a 2012 study. The study attributes the rise to climate change.

This year, Wichita ranked sixth in the nation for the “Most Challenging Places to Live with Spring Allergies,” according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

The foundation releases a yearly ranking of 100 cities called Spring Allergy Capitals.

Wichita ranked first for allergies among Midwest cities.

The report uses pollen scores, allergy medicine usage and availability of board-certified allergists to determine the ranks.

Meda Pharmaceuticals, a company that makes allergy medication, paid for the report.

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 7:50 AM with the headline "Do you have the sniffles? Blame these plants."