How To Avoid It
The best way to avoid pollen allergies in fall is to keep your windows closed as often as possible. Sure, the cool weather may make it tempting to open up your car and home windows, but the more they are open, the better chance they have of making their way into your home.
Pollen can also cling to your clothes and shoes if you spend a good deal of your day outdoors. An outdoor mat to wipe your feet off with is a good way to keep them out as well as regularly washing your clothes.
Ultimately, the less that you are exposed to ragweed and the pollen that comes with it, the less fall allergy symptoms you will experience.
Reduce Your Exposure To Pollen
Other good practices to relieve your allergy symptoms include reducing your exposure to pollen.
Ways to do this involve:
- Washing clothes more often
- Using air filters
- Keeping doors and windows closed
Overall, fighting fall allergies naturally gets to the root of the issue instead of simply relieving symptoms. Dont let allergies take the fun out of fall this year! Try some of these tips and remember to always consult with your doctor if you need help or have questions.
If you are finding that these tips dont help, get in contact with Dr. Lisa Ballehr, Functional Medicine Doctor located in Mesa, Arizona. She can assess you to see what is causing all your symptoms and help get to the root cause. You may be dealing with other underlying issues that you arent aware of. You can take her FREE online health assessment today to start feeling good again and enjoy this beautiful time of the year!
Additional Tips To Fight Fall Allergies
In addition to HVAC help, fight fall allergies when you take the following steps:
- If you regularly suffer from allergy-related illnesses, see a doctor to officially identify your specific triggers.
- If your doctor prescribes a prescription or over the counter medication, be sure to take it as directed. Pharmacists classify allergy medication as a prophylactic, meaning it needs to be taken prior to exposure to be effective.
- Check pollen levels each day and limit outside activities on high pollen days. Pollen counts are typically highest in the morning.
- Change clothes and shoes at the door to prevent tracking in allergens.
- Take a shower after spending time outside to clean off allergens on your hair and body.
- Wipe down pets fur and paws after they have been outside.
- Dont hang clothes and linens outside to dry.
- Keep windows and doors shut.
- Vacuum, dust, and clean surfaces throughout the house often.
You May Like: Can Your Lymph Nodes Swell From Allergies
How Much Do Allergy Shots Cost
The cost of allergy shots varies based on a few factors, including how many things you are allergic to and how frequently you need shots to keep your symptoms under control. Shots begin on a weekly basis and over time, your doctor may reduce your shots to once per month. Typically, the cost is between $2,000 – $4,000 yearly, if you dont have medical insurance.
The good news is that insurance will usually cover some maybe even most of the cost of getting allergy shots. And depending on your plan, you may only need to pay your copay. But check your insurance so you know for sure.
Why Do Allergies Happen In The Fall
Pollen and weeds get more unruly the longer the summers drag. The warmer temperatures that extend into fall are the perfect climate to help weeds and other pollen producers flourish.
While pollen counts usually drop at the beginning of September, sometimes extra rainy weather can lead to more weeds like ragweed and goldenrod. The more weeds grow, the more pollen gets released into the air. This leads to hay fever or fall seasonal allergies for more than 60 million Americans each year.
Mold can also become a bigger issue and contribute to seasonal allergies in the fall as well. Once the leaves start to fall and decay, mold starts to flourish as well. Breathing in the spores caused by mold can make asthma worse or cause seasonal allergies. This can cause upper respiratory issues.
Basements that become damp during the fall are a big source of allergy problems for some people. Putting a dehumidifier in your home and cleaning the filters in your home can go a long way towards mitigating your allergy symptoms.
Also Check: Should You Change Allergy Medicine
Tips To Fight Fall Allergies Naturally
Ahh, fall. The season of pumpkin spice, changing leaves, and cooler weather. Often a welcomed break to the hot, humid days of summer. We greet fall with cozy sweaters and houses smelling of cinnamon. At the same time, we curse the accompanying sneezes, sniffles, and itchy eyes.
For some, fall is synonymous with seasonal allergies. Instead of enjoying the beauty of fall, you end up taking antihistamines like its nobodys business. Having to rely on pills, eye drops, and nasal sprays to get through the day, and being in a state of constant drowsiness, is no way to live. Lets not even talk about sleeping with a constant nasal drip and headache.
Dont worry though, there are ways to fight fall allergies so you too can enjoy this season! First, lets talk a little bit about allergies in general.
How Ultraviolet Light Air Purifiers Help Control Allergens
Ultraviolet light air purifiers fight fall allergies as they neutralize airborne contaminants. An HVAC contractor installs it within your HVAC system to treat circulating air. This helps reduce allergy and asthma symptoms indoors.
Remember Grandma hanging quilts outside? The premise of UV light, or sunshine holds. Think microscopic vampires. A UV air purifier uses UV light inside your heating and air system to kill airborne mold, bacteria and virus particles. These wonderful devices often grab airborne odors as well, another common asthma trigger.
Ever felt your family is passing the same flu bug around for weeks? A whole house UV air purifier may help. Kill those particulates as they pass through the heating and air system instead of exiting your ventilation for another round.
Fight fall allergies indoors when you equip your HVAC system with the right tools and take action to clear out allergens. We offer free estimates on whole house equipment as well as finance options.
Also Check: Can My Throat Hurt From Allergies
How To Fight Fall Allergies With Your Hvac
When it comes to allergies, fall doesnt get the same reputation spring does. Thats not to say the autumn season does not present its own challenges, in fact, the truth is quite the opposite. Fall allergies affect a lot of people, and to make things worse, the cooler temperatures can reduce the effectiveness of your immune system which enhances the effects of allergies.
To help our customers, neighbors, and friends we put together this blog that will highlight the important fall allergens, and how you can fight them. We hope that after you read it, youll have the information you need to make sure your air is clean, and your lungs breathe easily.
Tips To Help Fight Fall Allergies
9/20/22 in Blog Posts
Ah, the summer heat is behind us and we can finally look forward to a cool breeze and the great outdoors… or can we? Fall brings beautiful foliage, cool breezes, chilly nights, pumpkin everything, football games, andallergy season.
While most people associate allergies with springtime, the other peak season is right around the corner. While spring allergies are caused by tree pollen, fall allergies are caused by weeds, with ragweed being the biggest culprit, mold, and dust.
Here are 5 tips to help fight Fall Allergies:
Fall Ragweed & PollenIts estimated that 75% of people who are allergic to spring plants are also affected by ragweed. Pollen is the main culprit, and ragweed is the biggest producer of pollen in the Fall. When the pollen count is high, avoid going outside as much as possible, especially in the morning and on dry, warmer days.
Outdoor MoldOutdoor molds grow in leaf piles, rotting logs, and compost heaps. Remove all dead vegetation from around the perimeter of your house and make sure that water from rain gutters can run away from your foundation. When you are outside doing fall cleanup chores, make sure to wear a mask, and shower.
Take control and learn how to manage your symptoms. Our Allergists, who work hand-in-hand with our ENT specialists, will tailor a treatment plan suited to your lifestyle and needs.
Also Check: How Often Can You Take An Allergy Pill
How To Fight Fall Allergies
The calendar says fall is still a few days away, but fall seasonal allergies have already started. Most people love this time of year because of cooler weather and football but for those with allergies to ragweed, this is not good news.
We know this time of year is hard for many of our customers and friends.
Ragweed is the most common weeds and is the number one cause of fall hay fever symptoms in the United States, and really flourishes in the Midwestern part of the country. It is usually found in areas such as fields and along roadsides in rural areas, but dont think it is only found in the country, ragweed also grows in vacant lots in urban areas, or get blown in from other areas.
Just one ragweed plant can produce one billion pollen particles and they are so small and light that the wind can carry them many miles. Ragweed pollen can travel as far as 400 miles via the winds, so you may be affected by ragweed even though it does not grow nearby.
Apollo Home Is Ready To Tackle Indoor Air Quality Problems For You
Were here to help you gain maximum comfort indoors, and we know when you experience fall asthma and allergy symptoms inside, youre not comfortable!
Apollo Home offers the tools and services you need to fight fall allergies in your Cincinnati home. Enjoy the charm of fall in the Midwest with the mums, apple-picking, and pumpkin patches without the haze of allergies. Contact us today to schedule an HVAC tune up and to reduce fall allergens indoors!
Read Also: What Are The Symptoms Of Dairy Allergy
Check Allergies At The Door
Pollens are tiny and collect on clothes, shoes and you while youre outside. Get into the habit of removing your shoes, jacket or coat and hat at the door to keep from tracking pollen into the house. Its also a good idea to shower before getting into bed to keep allergens out of your bed. And during high allergy season, wash your sheets weekly in hot soapy, water.
Common Fall Allergies And How To Avoid Them
While most people associate seasonal allergies with spring, many people deal with seasonal allergies in the fall as well. If your body is sensitive to certain substances, then your immune system will work hard to fight it off when exposed by releasing histamine.
This battle leads to a lot of symptoms that may look different for different people. Some people may benefit from visiting with an ear, nose and throat doctor if symptoms are severe. Finding the common symptoms and locating the causes can help you manage your allergies and get back to enjoying fall.
You May Like: Can You Take Allergy Medicine With Ibuprofen
Natural Ways To Fight Fall Allergies
As the days become shorter and the weather cools down, a new crop of allergy symptoms can arise, turning the autumn season into one marked by sneezing, scratchy throats and itchy eyes. Medications can alleviate such symptoms, but allergy sufferers may want to consider some natural ways to beat allergies.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, ragweed is one of the more common triggers of autumn allergies. Ragweed contributes to hay fever, which is a term to describe allergic rhinitis that occurs as a symptom of ragweed pollen in the air. Ragweed releases pollen in mid-August, and it can continue to be problematic until a deep freeze arrives.
Other sources of fall allergies include leaf mold and pollen that is present on fallen leaves. This gets circulated when people rake or blow leaves. Classroom pets and chalk dust in schools are other potential irritants.
The good news is that many natural remedies work just as effectively as over-the-counter medications in regard to combating ragweed and pollen problems. Heres how to beat the fall allergy blues:
Stay away from pollen. Stay away from pollen and prevent it from being tracked indoors. Remove shoes when walking through the door. Take off clothes worn outside and launder them promptly, showering to wash pollen off of the body. Use an air conditioner or keep windows closed when the pollen count is high.
Avoid seasonal allergies by exploring natural ways to prevent or relieve symptoms.
Natural Allergy Relief Options
What helps relieve allergies fast? Watching what you eat, getting plenty of fresh air and drinking enough water are some of the natural remedies that can relieve allergies by improving functions of the immune system.
It may take several weeks for your symptoms to subside, but they are likely to be better kept under control when you tackle the root causes. Here are nine ways to get natural allergy relief.
1. Eat an Anti-Inflammatory, Alkaline Diet
First and foremost, start eating an anti-inflammatory diet to reduce your risk for allergies and many other health problems. Caring for your body with nutrient-dense foods gives your immune system the ability to repair itself, bringing it back into balance so it can fight off common allergies in your environment.
Here are some of the best foods and ingredients to incorporate into your diet to help you beat allergies:
Although its not abundant in many foods, vitamin D is also important for immune function and may help manage allergy symptoms. In fact, certain studies have shown that children who live farther from the equator are more likely to develop allergies and suffer higher rates of hospital admissions due to allergic reactions.
You can get enough vitamin D by spending about 15 minutes in the sun most days without sunscreen and by eating foods like whole milk and some mushrooms for natural allergy relief.
2. Local Raw Honey
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
4. Quercetin
5. Neti Pot
6. Stinging Nettle
8. Probiotics
You May Like: How To Test For Latex Allergy At Home
Common Symptoms Of Fall Allergies
Most symptoms of seasonal allergies occur in the eye, nose or throat areas. You may have watery, itchy or general irritation in your eyes. You may also see a runny nose or mild congestion in your sinuses. This can be accompanied by sneezing, headaches and an itchy throat. While these may seem like symptoms of a cold or the flu, it is important to note that allergies do not cause a fever.
While most symptoms are minor, there are more severe symptoms that can include rashes or hives on your skin. If you have asthma, you can see a spike in symptoms of asthma-like coughing or wheezing. You may even have trouble breathing. You should always contact your ENT doctor if symptoms persist or get worse over time.
Let Food Be Your Medicine
Allergies cause inflammation, which can be reduced by eating certain foods often. Omega-3 fatty acids are one example. Research shows that people with asthma caused by allergies who regularly ate foods rich in omega-3s were less likely to have symptoms than those who did not eat these foods. Good sources are cold-water fish, walnuts, flaxseed oil, grass-fed eggs and meat.
Other inflammation-lowering foods include onions, grapes and tomatoes, which contain a chemical called quercetin, a natural anti-inflammatory that can also block the effects of histamines during allergic reactions. Green tea is another natural antihistamine thats powerful enough to actually interfere with allergy skin tests, says Dr. Wang. And you can amp up the flavor in your meals while fighting allergies by sprinkling on turmeric, a spice commonly used in Indian cuisine. It contains curcumin, which may reduce allergy symptoms by acting as a decongestant. With any herb, check with your doctor before using, especially if you have a liver problem, are pregnant or nursing, or are taking hormonal contraceptives, Dr. Wang warns.
Enrique Morez of Los Angeles has found that since he started eating more produce and spices in general, his allergies have plagued him far less often.
Also Check: When Do Babies Show Allergies
The Most Common Fall Allergies
Its such a pretty season, but you cant seem to stop sneezing. So what is it that youre actually allergic to?
Fall allergens are generally weeds, Dr. Aronica says. He breaks down some of the most common allergens during this time of year.
Ragweed
The most common fall allergen is ragweed, a member of the daisy family that starts to bloom in North America in late August and lives through autumn.
Ragweeds flowers produce significant amounts of pollen, which makes it an especially potent allergen. A single ragweed plant can release up to a billion grains of pollen!
Other seasonal weeds
Ragweed may be the primary culprit of fall allergies, but it certainly isnt the only one. Other weeds associated with allergic rhinitis include:
Tips To Manage Symptoms
Stay indoors with the doors and windows closed when pollen is at its peak . Check pollen counts in your area. Your local weather report will usually include them.
Before you turn on your heat for the first time, clean your heating vents and change the filter. Bits of mold and other allergens can get trapped in the vents over the summer and will fill the air as soon as you start the furnace.
Use a HEPA filter in your heating system to remove pollen, mold, and other particles from the air.
Use a dehumidifier to keep your air at between 35% and 50% humidity.
Wear a mask when you rake leaves so you don’t breathe in mold spores.
Show Sources
Recommended Reading: Can Deviated Septum Cause Allergies
