Understanding Allergy Season

When someone states that spring is in the air, they may have no idea what that means to individuals who suffer from allergies. Of course it is a wonderful season, flowers are blooming and it is the birth of all the magnificent plants on earth. Yet it only makes those of us who suffer from allergies to cringe at the thought. Because not only does that mean spring is in the air it means that pollen is too, it means allergy season. With everything from mold spores to grass, tree and weed pollens floating through the atmosphere it is an allergy sufferer’s worst nightmare.

It’s important to understand what you are up against when you are battling with allergy season. Allergies are typically an abnormal reaction of our immune systems when it overreacts to an otherwise harmless pollen, or allergen. The allergen enters our bodies through us swallowing or inhaling it when a series of events creates the allergic reaction.

Knowing When is Allergy Season

Understanding our pollen allergies and when they occur can be a useful tool for combating the allergy season. Spring is the most active time of the year for pollen release. Although pollen producing plants have specific times of the year when they pollinate most, weather also greatly affects pollination.

• Tree pollen allergy: Pollen produced by trees is the cause of hay fever symptoms, in which the male tree produces the pollen. The pollen must make its way to a female tree for fertilization to occur. This process is helped by the wind. The trees cycle of reproduction will start and end in the spring. Although they have a shorter cycle compared to other plants, they can produce a large amount of pollen in a very short time.
• Grass pollen allergy: The grass cycle of reproduction begins in the late spring and produces pollen into the summer months. With well over 1,200 species of grass in North America alone, there are only a few that cause allergy symptoms.
• Weed pollen allergy: The weed cycle of reproduction begins in the late spring and continues to produce pollen until the first frost. They produce more pollen than any other pollen producing plant.
• Mold allergies: Mold can grow indoors and outdoors and can surpass all other allergy causing plants, as they can grow throughout the entire year. Mold may go dormant in climates that have cold winters, but can come back and grow once the freeze thaws. Molds depend greatly on the weather for reproduction. If you live in a location that has warm summers and not too much rain, molds will have a tough time growing and vice versa if you live in a climate that is colder and has a lot of rainy weather mold will grow abundantly.

Know what Causes Your Symptoms

When you stop to consider that during this phase of allergy season, there is a wealth of different allergens, it can be very challenging trying to figure out what you are allergic to. According to most doctors and allergists, the best and simplest form of allergy test is the skin test. This test is not only the most accurate; it is also the least expensive. If the test is administered properly it can pinpoint most, if not all of your allergies including mold, grasses, weeds and indoor allergies.

During the testing process the doctor will scratch your skin with a needle that has a coating of one the different allergens on it. The allergen will be left in place for about 15-20 minutes. He will then look for signs of an allergic reaction. This can be redness or swelling in the area or possible hives, all of which indicate the specific substance to which you are allergic to.

Once you finally have a clear picture of your allergies, you will find it much easier to manage them during your allergy season. Once your allergies have been identified, your doctor may recommend a variety of treatments including allergy shots, prescription medications or simple OTC antihistamines. Tell your doctor if you have been using homeopathic remedies to treat your allergies. These remedies can possibly interact with many of the different medications your doctor might prescribe.

While allergy season certainly is not pleasant, by taking the proper precautions, you can reduce their symptoms to the point where they do not interfere with your daily life.

The most important thing to remember is that prevention is much easier than trying to cope with the symptoms after they have started. It is also healthier.

What precautions can I take?

While there are several over the counter and prescription medications that can be used to keep the spring allergy season at bay, there are other steps you can take as well. You need to take a very practical approach to keeping your allergy symptoms under control.

Here are a few tips listed below to help you in the fight to be symptom free:

• Learn avoidance strategies. It is healthier for the body to prevent the allergic reaction than it is to try and suppress the symptoms once the reaction starts.
• Know exactly what you are allergic to. Each different kind of pollen has its own cycle and season.
• Have someone else do the chores outside during high pollen counts.
• Know when the high pollen count is taking place. Two websites to look at are;
• pollen.com
• weather.com
• Keep pollen out of your home
• use an air purifier
• use a vacuum with a HEPA filter
• Don't dry dust; use a damp cloth
• Use a nasal irrigation system to keep pollen out of your nose.
• Keep the filter on your furnace or central air in good condition.
• Arrange your schedule so you don't have to go outside during times of high pollen counts. These times are usually early mornings and late afternoon.

Allergies may not go away, however there are many things that you can do to control them. That is what this website is all about.

Go to the nasal allergy HOME PAGE from allergy season.

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