AccuWeather.com

Image courtesy of AccuWeather.com Facebook Fan Irena Stojanovska Benzaquen.

Attention allergy sufferers: if you're noticing that your throat is scratchier than usual, your nose is running a marathon and your eyes are tearing up, then you know it is indeed that time of year.

The Southeast is becoming overwhelmed with pollen in much of inland Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

AccuWeather.com Facebook Fan Gene Overcash of North Carolina said, "The pollen is the worst I've seen in years."

The main reason behind the high pollen particle counts in major cities in the Southeast, such as Atlanta, is the oak and pine trees blooming. While tree pollen is among the first allergens to affect those with seasonal allergies, it is short-lived and should die down in the next few weeks.

However, grass and rag weed allergies will pick up and last through the summer, soon after tree pollen begins to dwindle.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists attribute the unseasonably cold winter to this year's extreme allergy season.

Many plants may have bloomed later than usual because of the cold temperatures, and this late blooming has overlapped the normal blooming of other plants. Right now some areas in the deep South are seeing double the normal amount of pollen as a result.

While trees, grass and weeds cause allergy sufferers pain in nearly all regions during early April, mold in the Northeast caused by record rain and flooding is amplifying allergy problems.

"It's bad here at the beach in southern Delaware, mold is also a big problem," said AccuWeather.com Facebook Fan Laura Brittingham.

AccuWeather.com Facebook Fan Chris Bayley Giblin also reported lots of mold in the Philadelphia area.

Mold induces similar reactions as pollen in allergy sufferers, including coughing, sneezing, headaches, nausea and itchy eyes and nose.

While far less of the population is affected by mold allergies, even those not predisposed to seasonal sneezing can fall prey to mold sicknesses like fungal sinusitis.

Allergy specialists around the country have predicted a heightened and earlier-than-normal season for seasonal as well as mold allergies. Record rainfall caused more plants to grow, and this means more pollen.

"I usually don't have allergy symptoms until mid-to-late April," said AccuWeather.com Facebook Fan Valerie Merchent. "I have been experiencing allergy symptoms since about mid-March this year."

The heavy rain and above-normal temperatures in early March caused the allergy season launch, and unfortunately for allergy victims, the season will last through the summer and into early fall.

Similar to the current situation in the Southeast, reports of heavy pollen in mid-March for eastern and southern Texas can be blamed on plants that usually bloom weeks apart, blooming at the same time instead.

A harsh, cold, and long winter in the southern Plains delayed growing seasons for some plants until late March, when springlike temperatures finally began to flourish.

AccuWeather.com meteorologists saw temperatures below normal for much longer into winter than is normal for the region.

AccuWeather.com Facebook Fans in Austin, Texas reported higher pollen from oak trees.

"The pollen is flying! It covers cars and everything outside!" said AccuWeather.com Facebook Fan Leslie Branham of southeast Texas.

According to a report by msnbc.com, natural allergies are getting more severe, with allergies to pollen and ragweed doubling in the past 20 years.

Over 35 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies.

For more information, check out the AccuWeather.com Pollen Index, and this special feature about regional allergies.

Story by AccuWeather.com's Carly Porter.