Seasonal Allergies
In many areas of the United States, spring allergies begin in February and last until the early summer. Tree pollination begins earliest in the year followed by grass pollination later in the spring and summer and ragweed in the late summer and fall. In tropical climates, however, grass may pollinate throughout a good portion of the year. Mild winter temperatures can cause plants to pollinate early. A rainy spring can also promote rapid plant growth and lead to an increase in mold, causing symptoms to last well into the fall.
While the timing and severity of an allergy season vary across the country, the following climate factors also can influence how bad your symptoms might be:
- Tree, grass and ragweed pollens thrive during cool nights and warm days.
- Molds grow quickly in heat and high humidity.
- Pollen levels tend to peak in the morning hours.
- Rain washes pollen away, but pollen counts can soar after rainfall.
- On a day with no wind, airborne allergens are grounded.
- When the day is windy and warm, pollen counts surge.
- Moving to another climate to avoid allergies is usually not successful — allergens are virtually everywhere.
Spring means flower buds and blooming trees — and if you’re one of the millions of people who have seasonal allergies, it also means sneezing, congestion, a runny nose and other bothersome symptoms. Seasonal allergies — also called hay fever and allergic rhinitis — can make you miserable.
In the fall, the most common culprit for fall allergies is ragweed. Ragweed is a plant that grows wild almost everywhere, but especially on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Ragweed blooms and releases pollen from August to November, and in many areas of the country, ragweed pollen levels are highest in early to mid-September.
Other plants that trigger fall allergies include:
- Burning bush
- Cocklebur
- Lamb’s-quarters
- Pigweed
- Sagebrush and mugwort
- Tumbleweed and Russian thistle
Seasonally Related Triggers
While the term “seasonal allergies” generally refers to grass, pollen and mold, there is a different group of triggers that are closely tied to particular seasons. Among them:
- Smoke (campfires in summer, fireplaces in winter)
- Insect bites and stings (usually in spring and summer)
- Chlorine in indoor and outdoor swimming pools
- Candy ingredients (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter)
- Pine trees and wreaths (Thanksgiving to Christmas))
Seasonal Allergy Management and Treatment
If you feel like you’re always getting sick, with a cough or head congestion, it’s time to schedule an appointment to see an allergist at the Sinus Institute of Atlanta. You may be certain pollen is causing your suffering, but other substances may be involved as well. More than two-thirds of spring allergy sufferers have year-round symptoms, but before you settle for plastic flowers and artificial turf, there are strategies to keep seasonal allergies under control.
Your best resource for finding what’s causing your suffering and stopping it, not just treating the symptoms, is to schedule an appointment at the Sinus Institute of Atlanta. Working with Dr. Pradeep Sinha to devise strategies to avoid your seasonal allergy triggers.
- Monitor pollen and mold counts. Weather reports in newspapers and on radio and television often include this information during allergy seasons.
- Keep windows and doors shut at home and in your car during allergy season.
- To avoid pollen, know which pollens you are sensitive to and then check pollen counts. In spring and summer, during tree and grass pollen season, levels are highest in the evening. In late summer and early fall, during ragweed pollen season, levels are highest in the morning.
- Take a shower, wash your hair and change your clothes after you’ve been working or playing outdoors.
- Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a good rain, which helps clear pollen from the air.
- Delegate mowing, weed pulling and other gardening chores that stir up allergens.
- Remove clothes you’ve worn outside and shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair.
- Don’t hang laundry outside — pollen can stick to sheets and towels.
- Wear a pollen mask if you do outside chores.
There’s no miracle product that can eliminate all allergens from the air in your home, but these suggestions may help:
- Use the air conditioning in your house and car.
- If you have forced air heating or air conditioning in your house, use high-efficiency filters and follow regular maintenance schedules.
- Keep indoor air dry with a dehumidifier.
- Use a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom.
- Clean floors often with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter.
At the Sinus Institute of Atlanta, Dr. Pradeep Sinha may also recommend one or more medications to control symptoms. Some of the most widely recommended drugs are available without a prescription (over the counter); others, including some nose drops, require a prescription.If you have a history of prior seasonal problems, Dr. Sinha may recommend starting medications to alleviate symptoms two weeks before they are expected to begin.
For many people, avoiding allergens and taking medications is enough to ease symptoms. Several types of nonprescription medications can help ease allergy symptoms including:
- Oral antihistamines. Antihistamines can help relieve sneezing, itching, a runny nose and watery eyes.
- Decongestants. Oral decongestants such as pseudoephedrine can provide temporary relief from nasal stuffiness. Decongestants also come in nasal sprays, such as oxymetazoline and phenylephrine. Only use nasal decongestants for a few days in a row. Longer-term use of decongestant nasal sprays can worsen symptoms (rebound congestion).
- Nasal spray. Cromolyn sodium nasal spray can ease allergy symptoms and doesn’t have serious side effects, though it’s most effective when you begin using it before your symptoms start.
- Combination medications. Some allergy medications combine an antihistamine with a decongestant. Examples include loratadine-pseudoephedrine and fexofenadine-pseudoephedrine.
However, if your seasonal allergies are still bothersome, don’t give up. Other treatments are available.If you have bad seasonal allergies, Dr. Sinha may recommend that you have skin tests or blood tests to find out exactly what allergens trigger your symptoms. Testing can help determine what steps you need to take to avoid your specific triggers and identify which treatments are likely to work best for you.
One of the most effective ways to treat seasonal allergies linked to pollen is immunotherapy (allergy shots). Also known as desensitization, this treatment involves regular injections containing tiny amounts of the substances that cause your allergies. These injections expose you over time to gradual increments of your allergen, so you learn to tolerate it rather than reacting with sneezing, a stuffy nose or itchy, watery eyes. For some allergies, treatment can be given as tablets under the tongue.
If you suspect you are a seasonal allergy sufferer, contact the Sinus Institute of Atlanta today to schedule you initial consultation. We are here to help you!