New research from UNLV shows just what allergens are lurking in which neighborhoods.
Finding out exactly what's in the air isn't a breeze.
"Once I tell them that I work with the pollen monitoring program they tell me all of their issues. I get called the 'pollen lady' when I'm walking around," said Tanvi Patel, a pollen monitoring researcher at UNLV.
Scientists like Patel check the air samplers around the valley weekly, sometimes even daily.
They break down the valley into five parts. In the northwest, they've recorded pollen from pine, elm, ash, sycamore, and mulberry. It's the same in the northeast except for Sycamore. On the east side, there is elm, ash, and pine depending on the season. In Summerlin, they see ash, sycamore, maple, and elm. Finally, in the central part of the valley, pollen from mulberry, olive, sycamore, and pine is in the air.
"Not everyone can power through, that's just the thing that I do. It's a personal choice of course, but not everyone has that ability," said Courtney Jones, a local allergy sufferer.
Even for locals, the struggle is real.
"Always had to deal with it. Kind of been the same thing since the time I was a baby," said Dominic Ballog, another local allergy sufferer.
Las Vegas enjoyed a warmer winter this year, so that means pollen season is starting earlier.
