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.
Kleenex Ultra Soft Facial Tissues
When the pollen count is high, youll want to ensure you have Americas softest ultra tissue around your home to comfort your nose. Made for extra comfort, our3-layer Kleenex® Ultra Soft facial tissues provide unbeatable softness for when only the softest touch will do — perfect for soothing your nose every time you need relief. Keep a box of Kleenex® Ultra Soft facial tissues in the kitchen, living room, office,bathroom, bedroom andguest room to make sure the softest comfort for your nose is always at arms reach.
Learn What Youre Allergic To
Dr. Cajigal can help you determine if your symptoms are caused by allergies and pinpoint what youre allergic to so you can find relief. Diagnosis starts with a thorough medical history, and usually involves skin or blood tests to determine your allergic triggers. Once youre aware of whats causing your allergies, there are steps you can take to minimize exposure to allergens, effectively manage allergic reactions if they occur, and prevent certain allergic reactions altogether.
Don’t Miss: Is It Covid Or Allergies
How To Alleviate Your Allergy Symptoms
Leeds recommended wearing a brimmed hat and sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes and nose. A solid rinse can also work wonders after spending time outside.
Wash your hands and face after being outdoors for long periods of time, and consider changing your clothes, she said.
If you are particularly sensitive, limit your time outdoors on poor air-quality days. Consider washing your eyes and nose with a saline solution. You might also want to swap out your contact lenses for eyeglasses, as pollen can cling onto lenses and irritate the eye. Cleaning your lenses more frequently and opting for daily disposable contacts can also help relieve itchy, watery eyes.
Pollen can get trapped inside your home, so keep your windows shut and car doors closed. Vacuum often to get rid of allergens trapped in your carpet. If you have AC, set it to nonrecirculated air.
AAFA also recommends using a HEPA air filter to purify the air in your house. And pets can be pollen magnets, so giving them a good rub down is a good idea after a springtime walk, Gupta said.
You might also want to hold onto your face mask a bit longer. The masks we use to protect ourselves against the coronavirus act as a barrier against pollen, too. The better the mask, the better the protection.
N95 masks are ideal for this, but standard masks most people are using to protect one another from COVID-19 also work, Mendez said.
How Our Allergycast Predictions Work
Wondering how your day may be affected by your allergy symptoms? Knowing local pollen levels can help, but many allergy sufferers need more than just a pollen count to plan their day.
The Zyrtec® AllergyCast® app goes beyond pollen levels alone. Our personalized symptom severity prediction technology calculates how the local pollen levels in the air may make you feel – giving you your very own personalized symptom severity prediction. Its like a “real-feel” forecast for your allergies!
When you start using the app, youll receive pollen levels and a generalized allergy symptom severity prediction based on data including local pollen levels, weather conditions, and air quality. To unlock personalized symptom severity predictions, simply sign in and track your symptoms. The more consistently you log, the more personalized your symptom severity predictions will become.
After youve started tracking allergy symptoms, youll get a daily symptom severity prediction, as well as an allergy forecast for the next several days! Its calculated using unique-to-you factors like your tracked symptoms and the local weather, with some help from Zyrtec®s allergy experts.
Did AllergyCast® predict a “Mild” symptom day? Great! You can expect less sniffling and sneezing.
Are “Severe” symptoms predicted? You may want to have some tissues handy or plan to spend less time outside that day.
Recommended Reading: Can Food Allergies Cause Facial Flushing
What Am I Allergic To This Time Of Year
The most common culprit for fall allergies is ragweed, 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. In many areas of the country, ragweed pollen levels are highest in early to mid-September.
Wellness And Prevention Services At Trustcare
At TrustCare, we believe that annual wellness exams are necessary for confidence, peace of mind, and positive health. We offer annual wellness exams between the hours of 8 am to 11 am. At the appointment, we will discuss your medical history, perform a detailed physical exam, and perform lab tests. We recommend that you do not eat or drink after midnight prior to visiting our clinic.
We also provide camp, sports, and school physicals for children. Physicals are necessary to ensure your child is in good health prior to engaging in physical activities that could hurt him or her. Our physicians can assess your childs physical health at any of our TrustCare without an appointment.
We also administer numerous vaccinations to help prevent serious illnesses, such as:
- Yearly flu shots
- Workers compensation injury management
- Hearing screenings
TrustCare also provides workers compensation treatment for employees whove suffered injuries on the job. We provide a care coordinator to assist the employee in finding high-quality care and communicate with the employer about the circumstances of the injury.
Recommended Reading: Why Do I Have Allergies In The Winter
Read Also: Can Allergies Cause A Lump In Your Throat
What Is A Pollen Count
A pollen count is how much pollen is in the air. To get a pollen count, a device such as an air sampler is used to capture pollen, and then the sample pollens are identified and counted. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunologys National Allergy Bureau collects pollen and reports these counts around the U.S.
Some websites or weather news report pollen forecasts also. Pollen forecasts are estimates, just like a weather forecast. Most of the time, pollen forecasts will only report on the most common types of pollen. This may help you identify which type of pollen is present in your area and triggering your allergy symptoms. Pollen forecasts can help you prepare, but you may feel allergy symptoms at times when the forecast predicted low or moderate amounts of pollen.
Are Allergies In Kids Different Than In Adults
It can be especially difficult to control allergies in kids, Dr. Leeds says, adding that kids tend to spend more time outdoors and, thus, are exposed to more pollen. A high pollen count day is not going to deter them from going to the playground, says Dr. Leeds. Thats unlike an adult who might say, ‘Im going to drive my car to work, keep the windows rolled up, and not take that walk during lunch.’
Another difference is that allergies in adults are usually well-established, while in kids there is the hope that they will outgrow them, Dr. Leeds says.
With kids, we talk about the concept of atopy, which is an allergic predisposition, she says. For a child with a strong family history of any allergiesand especially for those who develop symptoms early in lifedoctors look out for the four main allergic diseases: eczema, food allergies, nasal allergies, and asthma. These allergic diseases, in general, are increasing in prevalence, she says.
Read Also: Can Allergies Make Your Body Itch
Pollen Counts & Allergy Index Explained
If you have allergies, daily pollen counts in St. Louis can help give you some idea of how much allergen is currently present in the air. Levels of tree pollen, grass pollen, and ragweed pollen are reported most often, while some reports also cover mold and dust. Generally the higher the count, the greater the chance that individuals with allergies will experience symptoms and discomfort. There is variation in how reporting is done, especially on a quantitative basis, but most systems present counts as low, medium, or high and some differentiate by allergen .
A pollen count or mold count is based on the measurement of the number of grains of pollen or mold spores per cubic meter of air collected in real-time or over a recent time period such as the last 24 hours. This real-time data is combined with current weather patterns and historic data in the St. Louis area to estimate allergy forecasts for the coming days. Like regular weather forecasts, pollen counts and an allergy index are imperfect for a number of reasons that we discuss in more detail in the sections below. That said, pollen counts can help you make decisions about your day and help you prepare for allergy symptoms if you know what youre allergic to, and many allergists recommend using pollen counts as you navigate seasonal allergies.
Why Your Allergies Are So Bad Right Now And What You Can Do About It
Itchy, watery eyes. A runny nose. Pounding headaches. These and other frustrating ailments that come along with seasonal allergies are at an all-time high this year. If your sinuses havent alerted you, then maybe the internet has. Nearly every day since April, you can find a plethora of memes and gags about how allergies this year are wreaking havoc on peoples day-to-days, fighting for their lives, even, now more than ever.
SonicFox
Theres a reason it seems like allergies are terrorizing us at a much higher rate than in previous years: its because they are. But why? Well, we can thank our old pal climate change.
Climate change and global warming have caused longer allergy seasons, and the increase in carbon dioxide levels from rising greenhouse gases causes more potent pollinating or super pollinator plants since plants feed off of CO2, Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Network, tells InsideHook.
As explained by Vox, higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are causing the planet to heat up. There are warmer winters and earlier springs, which gives plants the opportunity to start pollen production sooner, which then leads to more pollen. Plus, as the concentration of carbon dioxide increases, it causes plants to grow bigger. Bigger plants produce larger amounts of pollen and spread more seeds, which, as Vox notes, produces more pollen-spewing plants in the next season.
Also Check: What Is Sun Allergy Pictures
You Can Thank Your Old Pal Climate Change
Itchy, watery eyes. A runny nose. Pounding headaches. These and other frustrating ailments that come along with seasonal allergies are at an all-time high this year. If your sinuses havent alerted you, then maybe the internet has. Nearly every day since April, you can find a plethora of memes and gags about how allergies this year are wreaking havoc on peoples day-to-days, fighting for their lives, even, now more than ever.
SonicFox
Theres a reason it seems like allergies are terrorizing us at a much higher rate than in previous years: its because they are. But why? Well, we can thank our old pal climate change.
Climate change and global warming have caused longer allergy seasons, and the increase in carbon dioxide levels from rising greenhouse gases causes more potent pollinating or super pollinator plants since plants feed off of CO2, Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Network, tells InsideHook.
As explained by Vox, higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are causing the planet to heat up. There are warmer winters and earlier springs, which gives plants the opportunity to start pollen production sooner, which then leads to more pollen. Plus, as the concentration of carbon dioxide increases, it causes plants to grow bigger. Bigger plants produce larger amounts of pollen and spread more seeds, which, as Vox notes, produces more pollen-spewing plants in the next season.
What Time Of Year Do Allergens Appear
- Mold is present to varying degrees all year, with higher counts in summer and fall
- Cedar pollen causes allergic reactions in many Central Texans. Counts typically peak in January to early February
- Oak peaks between end of March and the beginning of April
- Pecan counts peak end of April to the beginning of May
- Grass is indistinguishable under a microscope. It can last from March to September, with the highest counts typically appearing in May and June
- Elm counts peak between the end of February and the beginning of March
- Ash counts peak between the end of February and the beginning of March
- Ragweed season starts in August and can last through November. Its highest typically from the end of September to the beginning of October
Don’t Miss: Can Allergies Make Your Throat Dry
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.
This tool allows you to have a personalized index for the pollen count today in your area. Do you need an allergy forecast in NYC? How about a Dallas allergy report? Or perhaps youre looking for an Austin, Texas allergy report or an Oklahoma City allergy report? The index provides you with an asthma and allergy report so you can find out if allergies are bad right now in your area. No matter where you live, weve got you and your local weather covered.
Misconceptions About Tree Pollen Allergies
Most people assume that trees with large or fragrant flowers must be the cause most allergy problems, but actually the opposite is true. Trees with showy flowers have larger, stickier pollen that quickly falls to the ground. As a result, flowering trees depend on insects to carry their pollen. Since these pollen arent blowing in the wind, youre less likely to inhale them and develop allergies to them.
Another common misconception is that you cannot develop seasonal allergies as an adult if you didnt have them as a child. Allergic reactions can come on rapidly and appear even in adulthood. It is also common when people move to new regions and are exposed to allergens they may not have been exposed to where they previously lived.
Also, people believe that there is little to no pollen near the beach but pollen can be airborne and carried for hundreds of miles well into our beach areas. While our beaches do have lower pollen counts, they also have wild grasses and plants that can increase allergic reactions.
Also Check: Can Allergies Cause All Over Body Itching
When Does Allergy Season 2022 Start
Some allergens, like pollens, are seasonal. Tree pollen pops up in the spring , grass pollen arrives in the late spring , while weed pollen is most prevalent in the summer and ragweed pollen takes over from summer to fall , says Purvi Parikh, MD, an allergist and immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Network.
But if you’re one of the unlucky few whose allergies last basically all year round, there are a few other factors to consider. First, your seasonal allergies could be combining with your body’s reactions to indoor allergens like dust mites or animal dander, notes Dr. Ogden. You may also be bringing outdoor allergens into your homeyou can actually collect pollen and grass on your shoes, on your clothes, or even in your hair.
As a result, you may continue to experience symptoms even after allergy season is officially over, all the way from February to November. So pretty much every season except winter.
And climate change means allergy season begins earlier and lasts longer, adds Corinne Keet, MD, PhD, a professor and allergist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Specifically, the season has been arriving 20 days earlier than it did in 1990, and contains at least 20 percent more pollen, the New York Times reported.
Related Stories
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.
Read Also: A Hunter May Have Allergies Asthma
