Meet Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Sergei Ochkur Arizona’s only certified pollen counter

PHOENIX – Allergy season is right here in Arizona, and it’s tough. Specialists say the worst is but to return.

Mayo Clinic’s pollen professional Dr. Sergei Ochkur runs the one official pollen counting station within the state – and enjoyable truth – we have now 2 allergy seasons.

One of many seasons is in the course of the monsoon, and the opposite is throughout spring.

The current rainstorms helped all the pieces blossom, however these wildflowers aren’t the wrongdoer. In reality, the colder climate is delaying the largest bloom.

“I’m a biologist by nature. That is my calling. Something with nature and these items and finding out these things,” Dr. Ochkur mentioned.

His job is to gather, anaylize, and file pollen samples on the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale.

Each week, he begins on the roof to see what he’s caught in a tool that captures air particles.

“It takes quite a lot of time, it takes quite a lot of vitality, and typically it’s like a treasure hunt,” he mentioned.

Because the wind blows, air passes via a gap simulating a human nostril or mouth, then all of the air particles and pollen follow the tape inside. He then takes the pattern again downstairs to his lab for a more in-depth look beneath the microscope.

“As we scan, we see ragweed, ragweed, ragweed so it is a ragweed season positively,” he defined.

He says ragweed is the primary wrongdoer for allergy symptoms proper now, however pine can be excessive, oak got here sooner than regular, and mulberry and olive are but to return.

Dr. Ochkur may also inform if there was a current mud storm, or how a lot visitors air pollution is within the air. He says automotive emissions create black spots on the specimen.

The physician is the one licensed pollen counter within the state. Fortunately, he’s the perfect man for the job as he paradoxically doesn’t undergo from any allergy symptoms. By gathering all these samples, he’s capable of give allergy victims a heads up.

“We will help sufferers … that could be a large incentive, too. Hopefully it will likely be useful for individuals on the market,” Dr. Ochkur mentioned. “You will get ready, you’ll be able to take remedy forward of time.”

He says there’s round 50 totally different pollens within the air. The Mayo Clinic is at the moment engaged on an app that may monitor and forecast pollen to assist with allergy symptoms.