Allergy season in Las Vegas traditionally begins in spring with mulberry and olive trees as the biggest culprits, but sniffles can start as early as January with the arrival of ash tree pollen. To make things worse, Vegas has another allergy season in late fall, thanks to ragweed. UNLV Pollen Lab Supervisor Asma Tahir shares some thoughts on how 2024 is shaping up for allergies and what we can do about it. (Interview edited for length and clarity.)

It doesn’t appear on the calendar. There are no shopping days devoted to it. No one even remotely looks forward to its arrival. But for those afflicted by its wrath, allergy season is as real as any other time of year, bringing with it sneezes, runny noses and fatigue instead of glad tidings and good feelings.

Renown Health holds a dominant place in Northern Nevada’s health care landscape. The nonprofit health system owns and operates two of the six major hospitals in the broader Carson-Reno-Tahoe region and has a 100,000-square-mile service area that’s one of the largest territorial reaches in the state.

A new study published by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) this week has found that using tap water to perform a nasal rinse increases the risk of contracting a rare but serious set of infections. In particular, the CDC reports that a type of amoeba known as acanthamoeba, can cause a range of symptoms and has a fatality rate of 82%. This infection is rare and is thought to only involve 3-12 people in the US each year.

Early allergy season has officially arrived in the Las Vegas valley. Las Vegas local Jose Montalto tells Channel 13 that he recently started taking his allergy medicine. "[I noticed] an itch in the back of the throat, sneezing, a little more than usual," he said. "[I] thought is this a cold or is that an allergy? And then, you realize a couple days later oh. Not a cold. It's allergies."

As wind roars and trees bloom, officials say pollen levels in the Las Vegas Valley are the highest they’ve been in years. UNLV Pollen Monitoring Program Lab Supervisor Asma Tahir says mulberry pollen levels are “extremely high,” with pine and grass pollen levels following closely behind. Tahir says last year’s colder and longer winter delayed the spring season, which could be partially to blame for the high pollen count.

From watery eyes to runny nose, spring is peak allergy season and Asma Tahir knows exactly what’s making you sneeze. Tahir is the Lab Supervisor for UNLV’s pollen program. UNLV is the only certified National Allergy Bureau pollen and mold station, with four other pollen sites at CCSD schools. They include Jerome Mack Middle School, Palo Verde High School, Sunrise Acres and Joseph Neal Elementary Schools.

Last year a study done by a major insurance company in India, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, reported that 77% of Indians are experiencing at least one symptom of stress regularly. World Health Organization defines stress as, “a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation.” In simpler terms, stress is how our body, mind, and behaviors respond to outside events by interpreting them, and making judgments about controlling or influencing them.

Years ago, you’d hear “public health,” and more than likely, you’d shrug. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. No one ignores it now. And the virus remains, people are still getting sick from it and experiencing long-term effects. But what’s its lethality today, has it weakened? Should we keep getting vaccinations?

Aahana (name changed on request), 16 years old, is a high-school student in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-Wisconsin) who came to the United States as a child. She has an older sibling who has been a straight A student and is now in medical school. However, Aahana has always struggled with her performance in school. She has been shamed by her family and Indian-origin peers who have excelled in school. Her poor performance was always attributed to her laziness and a lack of applying herself.

"Las Vegas Morning Blend" hosts Elliott Bambrough and Jessica Rosado join UNLV's EARN-FS team as they discuss free workshops and breastfeeding support in collaboration with the Southern Nevada Breastfeeding Coalition.

There is a new groundbreaking survey for older LGBTQ+ Americans that is looking for participants over 50 years old.