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ATLANTA (AP) -- There's no escaping the blanket of pollen covering everything with a coat of yellow -- even people without allergies will suffer because there's so much of it.

Pollen levels in Georgia are higher now than they've been since 1999, partly because the rain stopped right when trees and grasses started to bloom. The sniffling, coughing, dry throats and watering eyes are leaving many people praying for rain.

"It's unbearable how thick it is," said David Blanke of Atlanta, who was sitting in Centennial Olympic Park on Friday. "As a result, I'm trying to spend less time outdoors."

Relief may be on the way this weekend, as showers and thunderstorms are forecast to sweep through the state and wipe away much of the pollen, said Gary Beeley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City. There was a chance of showers Friday night, followed by more rain Sunday or Monday.

"It certainly should wash some pollen out of the area and off the trees," Beeley said. "It should kind of clean things up a bit."

The Atlanta area had the highest pollen count in the state Friday -- 4,777 particles of pollen per cubic meter of air, which is more than double last year's peak of 1,544. Other Georgia cities also had high pollen counts.

The pollen people see -- the yellow pine pollen -- doesn't cause many allergies, said William Dolen, a Medical College of Georgia professor who works in allergy immunology. The real culprit is the invisible, microscopic pollen from oak, sweet gum, sycamore and birch.

Some experts recommend staying indoors and turning on the air conditioning, but Dolen said that's no way to live -- not in the South, where people are already enjoying beautiful spring weather.

"We like going outdoors. The idea of being a recluse is not good," he said. "You have to go to work and go to school, so you're going to be exposed to pollen. ... All you need to do is talk to your doctor, and they can get you on medications that can make you feel better."

For the most allergic people, like Lisa Nelson, no treatment will work. She said she got three allergy shots twice a week for 10 years before giving up. Now she's just decided to live with it.

"This month and next month are my worst for sure," she said, while taking her allergy medicine, Claritin, in the park. "My doctors always told me I should live by the beach."

A flood of people have been coming to the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic for help, said Dr. Kathleen Sheerin. Most people can get help from over-the-counter medicines or get help from their physicians, and allergists can aid those with more severe cases.

"People who don't live in Atlanta don't realize what we go through here," she said. "When you have to use windshield wipers when you get in your car in the morning just to see ... We have so many trees here in Atlanta, it's the city in the forest."

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)