Is It Allergy Season Right Now

How To Manage Weather Allergy Symptoms

The key to managing allergy and asthma symptoms is knowing your triggers. You might find cold air ramps up your asthma symptoms. Pollen might bother you a bit, or it can make you miserable.

Asthma and allergies are unique to each person, so identifying what worsens your symptoms is vital. Ideas that may help:

• Use an app or weather forecasting site to keep an eye on potential changes that might affect you. Watch the pollen count, mold spore count, air quality index, humidity, temperature and changes in barometric pressure. Sign up for alerts via email or text.
• Limit outdoor exercise in weather that affects you or if the air quality is poor.
• Wear a mask when gardening or cutting grass to limit particles and mold spores.
• Use a scarf to shield your mouth and nose in cold weather. It warms and humidifies the air before you breathe it in, reducing shock to your airways.
• Keep humidity levels in your home steady. Air conditioning, dehumidifiers or humidifiers, as needed, can help keep your airways from becoming inflamed.
• Take all your asthma medication as prescribed. These help you control your asthma daily and during a flare. Follow your doctors advice.

As A Member Of The National Allergy Bureau

Oregon Allergy Associates must attend periodic training and certification testing. Additionally, our Allergy and Asthma Research Group is able to provide pollen data in conjunction with studies of investigational treatments for allergies. In addition to offering it as a community service, our physicians enjoy having a scientific correlation with patient symptoms and the air samples.

Common Symptoms Of Allergies Include:

• Rhinitis itchy, runny, or blocked nose
• Incessant sneezing
• Swelling of lips, eyes, hands, or face
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

Anti-allergic medication can treat most of these symptoms. Still, you must seek professional assistance early on to determine the cause of your allergies and the best treatment options available.

Rarely, an allergy can cause anaphylaxis, a body-wide severe allergic reaction that can be fatal. The onset of anaphylaxis is within minutes of exposure to an allergen, and if the correct medical aid is not administered swiftly, chances of survival can be bleak.

• Swelling of the throat and mouth
• Difficulty breathing wheezing, gasping for air
• Blue skin or lips
• Collapsing or losing consciousness

If you see someone showing clear signs of anaphylaxis, do not hesitate to properly administer the epi-pen they must have at hand and call for medical assistance.

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How To Prepare For Allergy Season

There are many ways that you can get prepped for allergy season, and one of the best ways to start is by reducing your exposure to allergens like pollen.

Discover our simple tips on how to prepare for allergy season from checking pollen reports in your area to dressing for pollen-heavy weather.

If you are suffering from allergy symptoms, however, you can manage them with an effective over-the-counter allergy relief medicine, like FLONASE Allergy Relief Spray. FLONASE relieves your worst allergy symptoms by blocking six of the inflammatory substances produced by your body in response to allergens, while most allergy pills only block one.**

FLONASE relieves nasal congestion, as well as sneezing, itchy, watery eyes*, and runny nose for more complete allergy relief.**

Mechanism vs most over-the-counter allergy pills. FLONASE nasal sprays act on multiple inflammatory substances . The exact number and precise mechanism are unknown. * FLONASE SENSIMIST is indicated for itchy, watery eyes in adults and children 12 years of age and older. ** vs single-ingredient antihistamines which do not treat nasal congestion

For more information on allergy season, watch our quick video below.

i. Seasonal allergies. Nemours Kids Health. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/seasonal-allergies.html. Accessed 17/07/20.

ii. Allergic Rhinitis. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. https://acaai.org/allergies/types/hay-fever-rhinitis. Accessed 17/07/20.

How To Manage Seasonal Allergies At Home

There are many over-the-counter medications you can use to treat your seasonal allergies at home. The most effective options on the market right now are nasal corticosteroid sprays, Azar said. These medications work by gradually reducing the body’s inflammatory response to allergens.

Remember that steroid nasal sprays take a while to produce their maximum effect. So you should ideally start using them before your symptoms appear. “We remind people think about Valentine’s Day as the time to consider restarting your seasonal allergy meds,” Blair said.

Even if you missed that deadline, those sprays are still, “in general, the most effective way to treat nasal allergy symptoms,” Blair added. “But a head start could help a lot.”

Starting early helps avoid another potential problem: clogged nasal passages. “Oftentimes, people will start medications like a nose spray, but by the time , they’re really congested and swollen,” Blair said. “All the tissue within the nose is pretty blocked, and it’s hard to get the sprays to where they need to go.”

Other options include oral antihistamines, such as fexofenadine , loratadine , cetirizine and levocetirizine , as well as antihistamine eye drops and nasal sprays. Depending on which allergy symptoms you experience most, it may make sense to take more than one of those medications, like using a nasal spray or eye drops, as well as taking an oral antihistamine.

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Which Allergens Are Captured

Windborne pollinating plants and trees are the most commonly allergenic, as opposed to the heavy, sticky pollen in flowers that rely on insects for pollination. Pollen counts are usually higher on warm, windy days. Windborne pollen can travel several miles, although greater concentrations of pollens are seen from trees and vegetation located in close proximity to the sampler.

Can You Develop Allergies Later In Life Answering Your Spring Questions

But the exact seasonal patterns vary depending on where in the country you live. For instance, if you’re in the South, you might experience spring and tree pollen season a little earlier than the rest of the U.S., Corbett said. And some allergens are known to be particularly severe in certain areas, like the “cedar fever” that plagues areas of Texas and Oklahoma, Blair added.

Contrary to popular belief, though, the colorful flower blossoms we see in the spring aren’t a major cause of allergy symptoms. Pretty things dont typically produce a lot of airborne pollen, Corbett explained. Thats why they have the insects the bees that pollinate them.

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Whats A Good Allergy Forecast To Use

Pathria pointed me to the allergy forecasts on weather.com, which as I am writing this lists the tree pollen situation for today, tomorrow and the next day as Very High and pollen.com, which has options for the current situation, a five-day forecast, and even a little history chart that shows that the whole last month has been inappropriate.

Tree Pollen Allergy Symptoms

A sensitivity to pollen causes your body to produce an abundance of allergic antibodies called IgE. IgE allows your immune system to launch a full scale allergic response when it sees a culprit tree pollen. These reactions result in a flood of histamines in your eyes and respiratory tract and can lead to following allergy symptoms:

• Itchy and tearing/watery red eyes. Your eyes may be inflamed, itchy and red. There might also be crust along your eyelids, most commonly experienced upon waking in the morning.
• Bags under the eyes. You might also notice dark circles and bags under your eyes. These are sometimes called allergic shiners and are due to congested blood vessels associated with nasal inflammation.
• Runny nose. People with tree pollen allergies experience nasal congestion and a runny nose at the same time. A runny nose might also result in post-nasal drip. Children can develop a semi-permanent crease along their noses from constantly rubbing the tips of their runny noses upwarda maneuver affectionately termed the allergic salute!
• Sneezing and congestion. You may sneeze frequently, have an itchy nose, and feel pressure in your nose and sinuses.
• Coughing fits or sore throats. Allergies to tree pollen may also cause you to experience a scratchy, sore throat. The discomfort can be due to inflammation, post-nasal drip or both. Depending on how much youre coughing, you could also develop laryngitis and hoarseness.

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No Youre Not Imagining It: Seasonal Allergies Are Worse This Year

School of Medicines Fred Little on reasons for the spike and what you can do about it

• Alene Bouranova

Its that time of year againyoure sitting outdoors enjoying the sunshine, when all of a sudden, you start to feelitchy. Within an hour, that itch has turned into a full-blown sneeze attack complete with watery eyes and congestion, and now youre running to the nearest pharmacy to buy some Zyrtec.

Seasonal allergiesor an allergic reaction to the tree and grass pollens that float around in the spring and summer, known as allergic rhinitisaffect nearly 60 million people in the United States every year. This year, theyre particularly bad in the Northeast, which can be attributed to factors such as climate change and recent dry spells, says longtime allergist Fred Little, a Boston University School of Medicine clinical associate professor of medicine and the director of the Boston Medical Center allergy-immunology fellowship.

We spoke with Little about how allergies work and what you can do to cut down on the sneezing, itching, and watery eyes.

Do Allergies In Children Differ From Allergies In Adults

It is believed that it is more challenging to treat allergies in children than adults.

• Children spend more time outside, so they are exposed to more pollen. They even go out on high pollen days, unlike adults.
• Adults try to prevent themselves from exposing to pollen by rolling windows by driving and performing activities in confined places. They may even outgrow allergies that they had in childhood.

Children with a family history of allergies tend to develop allergic diseases. Doctors search for four major allergic disorders in children with a significant family history of allergies, especially those who exhibit symptoms early in life, such as eczema, food allergies, nasal allergies, and asthma. These allergic disorders are becoming more and more common.

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Bu Today: What Can People Do To Decrease Their Pollen Exposure

Fred Little:Unlike somebody with a food allergy, who can control their exposure to that food, its very hard to control exposure to pollens, as theyre so pervasive. Even indoors: as we come in and out of our houses, we wear the clothes we were wearing outdoors and bring pollens into the house. There are some things that can be done to minimize pollen levels in the house. For one, if you have the resources, keep windows closed during the night and day and use air conditioners to keep the air cool. For people with really bad allergies to pollens, they might want to change out of their outside clothes when they come inside and wash them . That can be helpful for people who have severe allergies and want to keep the house as pollen-free as possible. But no house or apartment is airtight, so it can be hard to keep the outdoor environment from coming indoors.

Treatment And Defense Against Mold And Spore Allergies

This is another case where taking precautions can really help limit your and your familys exposure to mold.

First and foremost, clean up all dead and decaying plant material from around your house, rake up those leaves, get rid of rotting wood, clear your gutters of debris, and clean up compost and garden beds.

Inside your house, consider investing in a good dehumidifier. Do your best to keep humidity levels lowbelow 50 percent is ideal within your house. In your garage and attic, make sure boxes arent damp and ensure insulation hasnt gotten wet from the heavy rains weve been experiencing. Attics and garages can be a major incubator where mold can grow.

If allergy symptoms hit, make sure to visit your allergist. Mold is a potent asthma trigger and youll want to have your inhalers ready and have your allergy and asthma management plan in place. If youve only recently developed allergies, your allergy specialist can test for your specific allergies to pollens and molds, which will help determine if you should start allergy shots. Immunotherapy is a proven method for controlling fall allergies.

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How To Use Our Allergy Forecast Tool

If the ALLERGY IMPACT number is higher than the pollen count number, you might feel more prone to sneezing than youd expect. If its lower, you might not feel as bad compared to what youd expect.

Want to take your allergy forecast predictions to the next level? Download the Zyrtec® AllergyCast® app. As you log your daily symptoms, the app continuously evolves to better understand you and your unique allergy needs.

Standard data rates apply.

Fall Allergy Season Upon Us In Minnesota And It’s Longer

Have your eyes been itchy? Have you been sneezing? You may be suffering from late summer and early fall allergies due to high pollen levels in the Twin Cities.

Dr. Pramod Kelkar, an allergist at Allina Health, said Ragweed pollen is usually the worst offender in Minnesota because it’s so common in the Midwest and it can travel in the air for upwards of 200 miles. Those who are susceptible can feel the irritation from August through mid-October.

“Right now is the biggest time for fall allergies,”Kelkar said. “It feels like the spring is the stronger allergy season, but in fact spring allergies and summer allergies and fall allergies can be equally bad. It just depends on what things you’re allergic to.”

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How To Monitor The Weather To Manage Allergies And Asthma

If you live with asthma or allergies, managing your triggers to avoid symptom flare-ups is a part of everyday life. Environmental allergens such as pollen and mold are common triggers. You may not realize that changes in the weather can also affect your asthma and allergies.

Temperature changes, humidity changes, thunderstorms, rain and wind can inflame the airways, leading to flare-ups. People with respiratory conditions tend to breathe through the mouth and doing so brings weather-related irritants directly to the lungs. It also doesnt allow your nose to regulate the humidity and air temperature.

What Else Can I Do To Prepare For Allergy Season

Even if you’re already taking OTC allergy meds, you may still experience symptoms. So, what then?

Luckily, there are a few other solutions. First, Dr. Ogden recommends consulting with a board-certified allergist who can discover *exactly* what’s causing problems for you. “You need to take proactive steps,” she saysand the easiest way to cut down on symptoms is to find out what’s causing them, so you can avoid them.

Once you know what the culprit is, don’t exercise outside or sleep with your windows open. Both may be tempting once the weather gets warmer, but “you have to isolate yourself from your allergens,” Dr. Ogden says, so embrace the indoors to reduce the chance of having a reaction.

And try to remove allergens once you get home: Take nighttime showers, make sure to shampoo your hair, and wash your face to make sure nothing’s stuck to your eyelashes. “You just want to remove pollen residue,” Dr. Ogden explains. For extra protection, consider investing in an air purifier for your bedroom.

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The downside? Allergy shots are a bit of a time commitment. You’ll need to get them once a week for six to eight months, then once a month for a minimum of two years, says Dr. Parikh. You need to be a little bit patient too, because it can take about six months to start feeling better. So, if you want protection by March, you’ll probably have to start in September the year before.

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What The Forecast Means

Asthma index: a combination of weather factors that can trigger asthma symptoms. A higher index value means more people with asthma will potentially be affected by weather factors, such as changes in temperature or allergens in the air.

Allergy index: a combination of weather factors and plant growth stages that increase the release and airborne spread of pollen. A higher index value represents a high pollen count and/or spread of pollen.

Flu index: a combination of historical flu data and temperatures. The index represents the degree to which transmission of the virus is favorable. A higher flu index means the spread of a flu virus is very favorable, assuming the disease is present.

The colored bars atop each index represent where the data currently stands based on the forecast date. Each index is scaled from 0 to 10, with 0 being very low and 10 being very high. The further to the right the tick mark is, the higher the index level.

When Will Allergy Season Peak In 2021 An Allergy Forecast

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Spring is creeping up fast in the United States, and that means warmer weather is on the horizon after a rough winter in some regions, but for those who suffer from seasonal allergies, there may only be a few weeks left in some parts of the country before allergens begin to kick into full gear. And one part of the nation is already beginning to feel the effects of the spring pollen season.

New research from Germany suggests that climate change is now causing allergy season to last longer, as rising temperatures are causing plants to bloom earlier, and pollen from early-blooming locations are traveling into later-blooming locations, UPI recently reported.

AccuWeather meteorologists, led by Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert, released their annual spring allergy forecast this week, after digging into the data and exploring which areas of the country may experience an early or extended season as well as which areas could face higher-than-usual pollen counts.

Simply put, different allergens will begin to affect Americans at different points in the season, depending on the region and the weather conditions. AccuWeather forecasters have you covered on where in the U.S. allergy sufferers may need to stock up on tissues — and keep the windows closed at times this upcoming season.

Tree pollen forecast

The Southeast is already beginning to experience the first effects of allergy season. Trees around the Gulf Coast in particular, Reppert said, have begun releasing pollen.

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