What Allergies Are Most Common In The Fall
Seasonal allergies can make you feel miserable and are tough to prevent since the environment triggers them. The most common fall and winter allergies cause symptoms similar to a cold. However, these symptoms can linger for much longer.
While you cant eliminate the causes of allergies completely, there are things you can do to lessen exposure and the effects. And of course, you should talk to your primary care provider about your fall allergies so you can make a treatment plan together.
How Do Fall Allergy Symptoms Compare To The Symptoms Of Covid
Some COVID-19 and fall allergy symptoms may overlap, such as cough, runny or stuffy nose and shortness of breath. But both conditions have a couple distinct features.
- One symptom of many cases of COVID-19 is a fever of 100.4 or higher. Fever is not a symptom of allergies.
- Sore throat is another common COVID-19 symptom, but it is not as common for people with allergies.
- Digestive issues, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, may occur with COVID-19. There are usually no digestive issues with allergies.
Another main difference between COVID-19 and allergies is spread. COVID-19 can spread from person to person, while allergies are not contagious.
The charts on this page can help you determine if your symptoms are more like allergies or more like COVID-19. If you are unsure whether your symptoms are fall allergies or COVID-19, take a COVID test or schedule an appointment with your doctor. At-home COVID tests are available at most pharmacies.
Tidy Up Pet Dander & Fur
Pet dander is comprised of dead skin that is shed by animals in the home. Up to 40 percent of people with seasonal allergies also have pet allergies. Pet allergies are triggered by an extra-sensitive immune system reacting to dander, fur, saliva, or urine from pets.
Some dog breeds cause more reactions than others. Saint Bernards and bulldogs are among the worst offenders. Cats are twice as likely as dogs to cause allergic reactions in people.
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Itching Puffy Watery Eyes
Most of us associate hay fever or season allergies with spring and summer, but for some allergy sufferers, the end of summer signals the start of their seasonal allergies. Unfortunately, just because the lush growth of summer is dying back and turning the green landscape into a fall foliage spectacular is not an indication of the absence of allergens. In fact, the autumn brings its own assortment of allergy triggers.
A survey done in 2002 revealed that 94% of patients with allergies said that their quality of life deteriorated because of them itching, runny nose and eyes, puffiness, sneezing and redness can all be included in the list of possible symptoms. The two most common causes of fall allergy season are ragweed and mould.
What Are Allergies And Asthma
An allergy is an immune reaction when your body mistakes a harmless substance, like pollen, for a harmful one. The body releases a substance called histamine, which can cause a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, itching, hives, and wheezing when released into the body. In some cases, reactions can occur in several places throughout the body. Welts or hives may appear, spasm in the lungs may cause coughing or wheezing, the throat, and tongue may swell even anaphylaxis may occur. Common allergens that may trigger allergies are pollen mold, animal dander , food, and medications.
Allergies can be a trigger for people with asthma. Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma, a chronic lung disease. Many things can trigger asthma, and the first step, when diagnosed, is to determine what triggers to avoid. Triggers could include smoke, stress, exercise, or cold air. These are things that dont bother most people, but these triggers can make the inflammation worse for those with asthma.
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What Causes Fall Allergies
Ragweed is the biggest allergy trigger in the fall. Though it usually starts to release pollen with cool nights and warm days in August, it can last into September and October. About 75% of people allergic to spring plants also have reactions to ragweed.
Even if it doesn’t grow where you live, ragweed pollen can travel for hundreds of miles on the wind. For some people who are allergic to ragweed, certain fruits and vegetables, including bananas, melon, and zucchini, can also cause symptoms.
Mold is another fall trigger. You may think of mold growing in your basement or bathroom — damp areas in the house — but mold spores also love wet spots outside. Piles of damp leaves are ideal breeding grounds for mold.
Donât forget dust mites. While theyâre common during the humid summer months, they can get stirred into the air the first time you turn on your heat in the fall. They can trigger sneezes, wheezes, and runny noses.
Going back to school can also bring allergies in kids because mold and dust mites are common in schools.
What Can Cause Allergies In The Fall
Spring allergies, Dr. Moss says, are usually triggered by tree pollen. Someone with a tree pollen allergy might first experience symptoms in early spring, with ongoing symptoms through summer if they’re also allergic to grass pollen. Fall allergies, on the other hand, occur in response to specific allergens that start to show up around September, including the following:
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What Are Fall Allergies
Late August to November is one of the busiest times of the allergy year. Weed pollen and mold spores fill the air outdoors. Theyre the typical fall allergies. But dust mites and pets can make allergic rhinitis symptoms flare up too as we spend more time indoors.
Youve got an itchy nose and watery eyes. And there it is, another sneeze. Summers over. So it could be fall allergies. But your hay fever symptoms might also be a cold, which is another type of rhinitis. Being in closer proximity to people again and kids going back to school makes this a season for sharing cold viruses.
Confusing, isnt it? Thats why weve written this article about the causes and symptoms of fall allergies. You’ll also find out how to get an allergy diagnosis and what to do if you are allergic to something, from avoiding your trigger to treatment options.
Fall Allergies: Leaves Problematic For Mold Allergy Patients
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Fun fall decorations, such as pumpkins, hay bales and cornstalks are a great way to get in the seasonal spirit. And who doesn’t love stunning fall foliage?
But if you have mold allergies, these signs of the season can do a number on your health, according to experts at the Cleveland Clinic.
As ragweed season winds down in the North and Northeast, the leaves start to fall, ramping up mold production. When leaves just sit in your yard, moisture accumulates, accelerating mold growth. Fallen foliage from dying summer gardens can also be mold hot spots.
As with all allergens, avoidance is your best strategy. Choose to spend more time indoors if you are a person with bad mold allergies. Don’t rake your own leaves and try not to handle any vegetables that are rotting, such as Halloween pumpkins.
It’s best to roll up the windows in your car or home, and run a fan at home to circulate air through your house to fight fall allergies. Also, you can visit an allergist to make sure you know what you’re really allergic to, so you can create the best treatment plan.
Mold allergies can create the same symptoms as other seasonal irritants: itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and nasal congestion, which often causes sleepless nights and daytime fatigue. Sore throats and headaches can also occur.
For up-to-date allergen levels for your area, check our allergy tracker.
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What Is The Best Medicine For Fall Allergies
Medication is also available to treat fall allergies symptoms, such as over-the-counter decongestants and antihistamines, eye drops, and prescription medications, such as steroid nasal sprays. Immunotherapy in the form of allergy shots or oral tablets, such as Immuno-Care, can also help you feel better by reducing the production of histamine and inflammation in your body.
Six Tips To Combat Fall Allergies
Just when you thought it was safe to go outside more hazards await: fall allergies. 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, says Dr. Soo Kwak, an allergy and immunology specialist with NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital. Ragweed season starts mid-August, with pollen counts rising throughout the course of the fall. Symptoms of ragweed allergy are similar to those caused by tree pollen runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, scratchy throat and nasal congestion. The most symptomatic patients may not experience relief until after a hard frost.
In addition to ragweed pollen, there are some lesser-known triggers for fall allergies. Unseasonably warm temperatures can make allergy symptoms last longer. Mold spores can be released when humidity is high, or if the weather is dry and windy. Many patients also find that their allergies are exacerbated by mold growth after leaves have fallen.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the United States, with an annual cost in excess of $18 billion. More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year.
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What Causes Seasonal Allergies
Allergy season is different for everyone. Thats because different kinds of outdoor allergens get distributed into the air year-round. So while springtime might be a time of beauty and renewal for some, for others its the annual onset of allergy symptoms.
Seasonal allergies such as spring allergies are most often caused by pollen produced by trees, grasses, and weeds.1 When inhaled by an allergy sufferer through the nose or mouth, pollen can cause the immune system to overreact and trigger allergy symptoms.
The Symptoms Of The Coronavirus:
According to the CDC, reported positive cases have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus cases. One prominent symptom of COVID-19 is a fever, with over 90% of patients testing positive having one. Fever is not a symptom of allergies. A severe, dry cough is another key symptom of having COVID-19 instead of allergies. While allergies can cause a cough, it will not be as prolonged and severe as it would with COVID-19. Unlike allergies that are ongoing, COVID-19 symptoms often only last for a week or two.
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Treatment For Seasonal Allergies:
At Aspire Allergy & Sinus, we offer a variety of curative, long-term relief treatment options, so when fall comes around next year, you won’t be suffering through your allergies again.
Allergy Shots: Allergy shots are a great way to keep a routine for your allergy treatment. By using allergy shots, you’re training your immune system to not overreact to the allergen. Gradually, the amount of allergen that is injected will increase as your immune system continues to be trained to not react. This is done weekly or bi-weekly injections in the office!
Allergy Drops: Allergy drops are created for those on the go. This long-term relief treatment can be taken anywhere and at any time. Just as long as you take 3 drops a day! Theyâre great for children too. These work in the same way as allergy shots: as your body adjusts, the concentration increases, and your immune system no longer reacts to the allergen.
ExACT Immunoplasty: Our ExACT treatment is the newest way to treat allergies. It has been clinically proven to be just as effective as 3 years worth of allergy shots, with an 87% long-term success rate! If you’re looking for a quick treatment this is it. With only 3 appointments over the span of eight weeks, this treatment option is a no brainer!
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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Tips For Dealing With A Weed Pollen Allergy
- Try to keep weed pollen out of your home by changing clothes and washing them after you spend time outside. Cover your hair when you go outside or wash it at night to remove pollen. And leave those shoes by the door.
- Keep your windows and doors closed, if possible. Use your central air conditioning system, if you have one. You may be tempted to open up your home to let the cool fall air in. But it can let pollen in as well.
- Wear a mask and sunglasses to reduce your pollen exposure. The mask you wear to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can also keep pollen from getting into your nose and lungs. So wearing a mask can have multiple benefits.
- If you do have a central air conditioning system, use air filters that are CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® and change them according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Nasal Spray Tip
A nasal spray is one type of treatment recommended to treat pollen allergies. Many are available over the counter. To make sure your nasal steroid spray is effective in treating nasal allergy symptoms, follow these steps:
- Gently blow your nose before using the spray.
- Dont tip your head backwards.
- Place the tip at the entrance of your nostril and aim it toward the ear on the same side.
- Use your finger to hold the other nostril closed.
Effective Treatments For Fall Allergies
As mentioned, allergy testing is integral to properly treating fall allergies. Skin prick testing will identify the precise tree, grass, weed and other allergens triggering a reaction. With a diagnosis, your allergist can then develop a sinusitis treatment plan. In many cases, allergy and sinus infection treatments involve a combination of antihistamines, corticosteroids, or allergy shots to desensitize the immune system.
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What Is The Cause Of Allergy Symptoms In The Fall
Ragweed is the main culprit this time of year. It grows wild almost everywhere, but especially on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Ragweed blooms and releases pollen from August to November, with pollen counts peaking in mid-September. Follow the daily #AtlantaAllergyPollenCount and mold activity on our website or .
Ragweed pollen is very light and can travel far when carried by the wind. Considered the most allergenic of all the pollens, those allergic should avoid being outside during mid-day when counts are highest and follow our other tips for surviving high pollen days.
If you are allergic to ragweed pollen, you may experience itching of the tongue, mouth and lips after eating foods like melons, bananas and zucchini due to cross-reactivity. This is known as Oral Allergy Syndrome and occurs when the immune system reacts to the proteins in certain foods as they are similar to the proteins in pollens.
How To Tell The Difference Between Allergies Colds And Covid
Symptoms can vary from person to person, but many people will exhibit the same signs of allergies in the fall as they do in the spring, said Dr. Anju Peters, an allergist at Northwestern Medicine. That means runny noses, sneezing, stuffiness, postnasal drip and fatigue symptoms that sound a whole lot like colds and the dominant variant of Covid.
The only way to be completely sure you dont have Covid is to take a test but there are a few clues to help pin down the source of your sniffles. Viral infections tend to develop suddenly, and then run their course, Dr. Parikh said, while allergies slog on for four or six or eight weeks at a time. And allergies unlike colds, Covid and the flu dont usually cause fevers, body aches or gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, she said. Itchiness can be a telltale sign that youre dealing with allergies, so watch out for scratchy, tingling ears, eyes, throats and noses, she added. Fall allergens can also cause rashes like eczema.
Coughing, wheezing and chest tightness can be signs that an allergy has led to asthma, especially if you wake up in the middle of the night with these symptoms, Dr. Parikh said. If you feel winded, fatigued, or dizzy after mild physical activity, like household chores, or like you cannot complete your normal exercise routine, those may also be signs of the disease.
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