Have problems dealing with seasonal allergic rhinitis?

If so, the next several days may pose a problem for those who suffer with seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever and pollen allergies.

The pollen allergy forecast for Washington today is 8.1 out of a possible 12 (extremely high), according to Pollen.com (www.pollen.com). The forecast for Saturday is 6.9, rising to 9.2 on Sunday. The forecast drops off slightly to 9 on Monday.

An initial forecast had today’s pollen forecast at 11.5, but the rain that moved through the area early Thursday washed away that forecast and some of the pollen.

That’s right, it’s pollen time — dogwoods are blooming, the Masters golf tournament is taking place in Augusta, Ga., and pollen is coating vehicles, leaving them with a yellow powder on their surfaces.

The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases’ website provides this information about pollen:

“Most of the pollen that causes allergic reactions comes from plants that don’t have showy flowers, such as trees, weeds, and grasses. These plants make small, light, and dry pollen grains that are made to be carried by wind.

“Because airborne pollen can drift for many miles, removing an offend­ing plant may not help. Amazingly, scientists have collected samples of ragweed pollen 400 miles out at sea and 2 miles high in the air. In addition, most allergy-causing pollen comes from plants that produce it in huge quantities. For example, a single ragweed plant can generate a million grains of pollen every day.”

Weather Underground identifies maple, birch and cedar/juniper as trees producing most of the pollen in eastern North Carolina this weekend. Its website carries a pollen warning similar to the one issued by Pollen.com.