For some, this time of year is a season of wonderment. As summer defers to fall, the temperatures begin to cool. Students return to school. Leaves begin to change into a vast array of breathtaking colors.

Allergy sufferers, however, have a different perspective.

"It can be just miserable," said Stephanie Dowdy.

As allergy season approaches, Dowdy, 28, of Cape Girardeau is already beginning to feel the effects of the airborne pollen as it makes its way from plants, trees and grass into her respiratory system, which combats the foreign invader by making her nose run and her eyes water. She coughs and sneezes constantly.

"Right now, I have a stopped-up head in the morning," Dowdy said. "But later, I'll have it all day. Then I'll have to see a doctor."

Leasi Miller already has had to see one. She visited local allergist Dr. Michael Critchlow Wednesday.

"Over-the-counter medicine doesn't work for me," said Miller, 38. "I get sore throats with it. I'm a communication supervisor at the Jackson Police Department, and that doesn't work too well if you're hoarse."

Mold spores plentiful

Nona Chapman, a technician trained to identify pollens and mold spores, reports local pollen counts to the National Allergy Bureau in Milwaukee, Wis. Chapman, the wife of retired allergist Dr. Jean Chapman, said that the Cape Girardeau area has recently had high counts of mold spores, while pollen has been relatively normal.

Tuesday's report, actually for data collected Monday, showed 29,736 mold spores and 11 pollen grains per cubic meter of air. Numbers reported Wednesday showed 18,504 mold spores per cubic meter and 41 pollen grains per cubic meter.

Mold spore numbers have gotten very high. Last week, 89,000 mold spores per cubic meter were in the air, which falls into the very highest category of allergy counts.

"The numbers changed because of the lower humidity levels and temperatures," Chapman said. "It changes quite a bit from day to day and there's no way to predict it for tomorrow. Nobody has any control over nature."

Chapman said that ragweed, the worst culprit, is found along roads, in vacant lots and in unmowed areas. There's no safe place to hide.

"It's going to find you," she said. "If it's in the air, it can travel for miles. It could be growing in Sikeston and wind up here."

Things could get much worse, she said. "These wonderful rains could lay the groundwork for a nice crop for any weed."

Labor Day peak

Robert Sacha, a Cape Girardeau allergist, said that allergy season peaks about Labor Day. Fall typically brings more wind, rain and, most damaging to sufferers, increased pollination.

"People are coming in and noticing problems, but in a week or two, they're going to see major problems," he said.

Staying inside helps, he said, but it's not practical. Pollen reaches a high in the early morning until noon, so outside activities should be done later in the day, he said. Keeping the inside air conditioned helps, considering it purifies the air, he said.

"If it's not too bad, medicate yourself," he said. "If it doesn't work, you need to go see your doctor. Nowadays, there are such good medications that it really can improve your quality of life."

Dr. Critchlow said that some people who don't have allergies tend to think that it is not serious.

"But there have actually been surveys that say allergies rank up with heart disease and arthritis as far as affecting your quality of life," he said.

Stephanie Heisserer, a reading teacher at Orchard Elementary in Jackson and Gordonville Attendance Center, agreed. She takes immunization therapy for her allergy attacks.

"It's helped," she said. "A lot of people think that this is just a little itchy eyes, a runny nose and really nothing. But it can make you miserable enough to call in sick to work."