According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology ragweed pollen season has started. It promises frequent rounds of sneezing and watery eyes for more than 36 million Americans who have hay fever.      We talked to one woman in Sioux Falls who had to re-arrange her wedding because of ragweed.

 Ragweed starts blooming in mid-August.  The pollen this plant sends airborne is responsible for most late summer and early fall allergy symptoms. Kerry Boetel in Sioux Falls has suffered her whole adult life with allergies this time of year.

Kerry says, "If you have fall allergies everyone is complaining about it. We are all sneezing. I think it's the pollen in the air. I get watery eyes, it's just awful."

Kerry Boetel is right about the pollen.  In an average season, each ragweed plant produces one billion pollen grains. That lightweight grain can travel 400 miles in the air from where it started, so it's no wonder that people all over the county (rural and metro areas) have to deal with it.

Kerry says, "When I got engaged in the summer, we were looking to get married the following summer, but the only date that was open was the end of August. I was like no way. I can't because of my allergies.  I wouldn't do it. That's how bad it is."

 Kerry says she's lucky that she doesn't suffer with the spring allergies like so many people do (they are caused from grass and tree pollen).   She takes over the counter meds, Claritin-D, but says nothing really truly helps but time. She says by the time the first frost rolls around at the end of September or early October, this season of sneezing shall pass for her too.

    And that's what's going around this week.