This spring could be quite harsh for many noses and eyes—a "pollen vortex" is predicted to keep those with allergies close to the tissue box.

"It will be a shorter period by a number of weeks but you will see it all hitting very intensely," Dr. Shulan, who works for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, told NBC News. "... It's like winding up a spring and letting it go all at once."

Apparently, this winter's polar vortex wasn't the only intense season we'll face. In fact, because this winter was so cold, allergy season was delayed, which could create a "perfect storm of pollen," according to The Washington Post.

"It is a term that people are using to describe the [effects of the] polar vortex. We've had a real rough winter with the rain, snow, ice and cold temperatures," Stanley Fineman, M.D., Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic allergist, told The Weather Channel. "So it's kind of overwhelmed us. The pollen has been waiting for the warmer weather, and we're just now seeing that, so we're seeing extremely high pollen counts."

For example, Susan Kosisky, a microbiologist and chief of the United States Army Centralized Allergen Extract Laboratory, told NBC News that pollen counts in Silver Spring, Md., are up to 50 percent lower than normal for this time of the year because of the cold.

"The phenomena can be contributed to the fact that the trees have taken on the water from the snow and ice and have not been able to release the pollen," Dr. Fineman continued.

Some are starting to worry that this could be the worst allergy season ever.

"It's hard to predict [that far out]," explained Dr. Fineman. "We don't have a good scientific way to predict the pollen forecast because there are too many variables."

"If it stays this cold and wet, we won't see much pollen, but if we can put together a string of warmer, sunny, dry days - we will probably see above-average pollen," Kosisky said.

If things become unbearable, Dr. Shulan recommends using an air conditioner because they reduce mold and pollen by around 90 percent.

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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @SH____4.

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