If you're reading this from the Georgia or South Carolina, your eyes may be too red and watery to see the screen! In the last week, a yellow haze has descended on the country's southeast states creating a boon for car wash businesses and makers of allergy medicine. The culprit? Pollen, mostly from pine trees.

The pollen is sticking around because of a lack of rain. Rain washes the pollen out of the air, but because there's been no precipitation (and none in sight for the next week), the stuff is just hanging there. Pollen counts have hit 5000 and above in an area that rarely sees counts above 120, and residents are feeling it. Watery eyes and irritated respiratory passages have citizens running for relief.

If you live in the Southeast, experts say stay inside as much as possible until the pollen leaves the area, or at least try to limit outdoor activities to early morning, when pollen counts hit their low point.