What Is The Most Common Outdoor Allergies In The Us

Pollen Is The Biggest Culprit

Trees are usually done with their pollen-fest by late spring. That leaves grasses and weeds to trigger summer allergies.

The type of plant to blame varies by location. Those most likely to make you sneeze or sniffle include:

Weeds

Ragweed is one of the most common summer allergy triggers. It can travel for hundreds of miles on the wind. So even if it doesnât grow where you live, it can make you feel bad if youâre allergic to it.

The Hay Fever/sinusitis Connection

Seasonal nasal allergies, such as hay fever and sinusitis, often go hand in hand. Why? Hay fever can cause swelling of the opening to the sinuses. If the sinuses inside the skull don’t drain adequately, an infection can develop that leads to worse symptoms.

People with hay fever are more likely to develop sinusitis than those without hay fever. Of course, not everyone with hay fever gets sinusitis. But “definitely, the data suggest that people who have allergies and sinus disease have worse sinus problems,” says Michael Schatz, MD, MA, chief of Kaiser Permanente’s allergy department in San Diego.

That’s one more reason to seek treatment if you have an allergy, says Williams. Anything you do to cut down on congestion-such as treating your hay fever as early as possible should help your head feel clearer and might help you avoid sinusitis.

Get Seasonal Allergy Relief No Matter Where You Live

In the spring, the warm weather brings people outdoors to face one of the seasons biggest problems: tree pollen. Grass pollen follows later in spring into summer. Then in the late summer and early fall, weed pollen especially ragweed pollen can trigger symptoms just as kids are returning to school.

Take these actions to reduce your contact with pollen:

• Check pollen counts or forecasts daily and plan outdoor activities on days when pollen counts are expected to be lower.
• Keep windows closed during pollen season or peak pollen times.
• Use central air conditioning or air cleaners with a CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® filter and/or HEPA filtration to reduce indoor airborne allergens .
• Wear sunglasses, a mask, and a hat or other hair covering when outdoors.
• Take a shower and wash your hair before going to bed .
• Change and wash clothes after outdoor activities.
• Dry laundry in a clothes dryer or on an indoor rack, not on an outdoor line.
• Limit close contact with pets that spend a lot of time outdoors. Wipe pets off with a towel before they enter your home.
• Remove your shoes before entering your home.
• Wash bedding in hot, soapy water once a week.

When cleaning inside your home, be aware that you may stir up pollen that has collected on surfaces. CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly®vacuums and dusting cloths help trap and contain allergens such as pollen.

There are also over-the-counter and prescription allergy treatments available to prevent or treat allergy symptoms:

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How Common Are Skin Allergies

Skin allergies include skin inflammation, eczema, hives, chronic hives, and contact allergies. Plants like poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are the most common skin contact allergy triggers and cause symptoms days after the exposure. But skin contact with cockroaches and dust mites, certain foods, or latex may also cause skin allergy symptoms.

• In 2018, 9.2 million children had skin allergies.7
• Children birth to age 4 are most likely to have skin allergies.7
• In 2018, Black children in the U.S. were more likely to have skin allergies than white children.7

How Common Is Insect Allergy

People who have insect allergies are often allergic to bee, wasp, and ant stings. Cockroaches and dust mites may also cause nasal or skin allergy symptoms.

• Insect sting allergies affect 5% of the population.15
• As many as 100 deaths occur each year in the United States due to insect sting anaphylaxis.16

Medical Review: February 2018, updated April 2022 by Mitchell Grayson, MD

References

1. American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. . Allergy Facts.

2. Clark, S., Espinola, J., Rudders, S. A., Banerji, A., & Camargo, C. A. . Frequency of US Emergency Department Visits for Food-Related Acute Allergic Reactions. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 127, 682683.

3. Wood, R. A., Camargo, C. A., Lieberman, P., Sampson, H. A., Schwartz, L. B., Zitt, M., Collins, C., Tringale, M., Wilkinson, M., Boyle, J., & Simons, F. E. R. . Anaphylaxis in America: the Prevalence and Characteristics of Anaphylaxis in the United States. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 133, 461467.

4. Turner, P. J., Jerschow, E., Umasunthar, T., Lin, R., Campbell, D. E., & Boyle, R. J. . Fatal Anaphylaxis: Mortality Rate and Risk Factors. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 5, 11691178.

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Signs Your Child May Have Seasonal Allergies

Symptoms of seasonal allergies include a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, sore throat, cough, and dark circles under the eyes.

Seasonal allergies can be more than just a mild annoyance. Some of the consequences of allergies in children include:

• Fatigue and poor concentration in school due to lack of sleep
• An increase in ear and sinus infections
• Asthma exacerbations
• Behavioral issues from discomfort and lack of sleep

Natural Ways To Defeat Texas Seasonal Allergies

• Cleanse your nasal passages more often.
• Drink apple cider vinegar with water and lemon juice to break up mucus and boost the immune system.
• Add essential oils to your bath water or tea to reduce allergy symptoms.
• Clean your house regularly to get rid of accumulated dust, spores and pollen.
• Strengthen your immune system by managing your stress levels through self-care activities.

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How To Get Help For Allergies In Connecticut

One of the best ways to get help for allergies is from a specialist. They will review your history and perform tests to determine the allergen and the best course of treatment. Once you have a treatment plan, you will be able to go about your life with significantly reduced symptoms and feel more comfortable. It is also important to have a dust-free home, eat healthily to boost your immune system and avoid smoking. Research shows that allergies are morecommon in smokers, especially those who also have asthma.

If you are in Connecticut and are looking for a doctor to guide you through this process, searchPACTs list of board-certified doctors near you!

Allergies On The Rise

Seasonal allergies and asthma impose significant health burdens, with an estimated 1030% of the global population afflicted by allergic rhinitis and 300 million people worldwide affected by asthma.5 Trend data suggest that the prevalence of asthma, including forms of the disease triggered by pollen, mold, and other allergenic substances, is on the rise. Childhood asthma rates in the United States, for instance, doubled from 1980 to 1995 before slowing to a more gradual increase.6 Kate Weinberger, a postdoctoral associate at Brown University, says trends in seasonal allergy prevalence are more difficult to track because symptoms in most cases dont trigger emergency room visits or other types of medical care.

Pollen is produced by the stamens , which are the male reproductive organ of flowering plants. Pollen grains are covered in proteins that assist in reproduction but also trigger allergic reactions in sensitized people.

Bielory says its likely that other environmental factors, such as changing diets and better hygiene, contribute to the prevalence of asthma and hay fever by limiting early exposure to allergens and altering the immune systems normal development. However, much remains unknown about the relationship between aeroallergens and exacerbation of asthma, especially less severe attacks that arent reflected in hospital visit data.12

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Keep Indoor Air Clean

Allergens arenât just outside they exist inside too. Doing what you can to keep your indoor air clean could do wonders for your allergy symptoms, especially if allergens like dust, mold, or dander worsen your allergy symptoms. To reduce allergens and other airborne particles, make sure you are using high-efficiency particulate air filters and changing them routinely. Using an air purifier can also help keep indoor air clean.

Why Are Some Cities Worse For Allergies Than Others

An areaâs climate directly impacts the type and amount of existing allergens â this is why some cities may be worse for environmental allergies than others. Factors like temperature, air quality, and humidity can all affect the concentration of allergens in a region or city. Whatâs more, is that climate change will potentially lead to both higher allergen concentrations and longer growing seasons, causing more people to suffer from the health effects of pollen and other allergens.

To put it in layman’s terms, warmer climates result in longer growing seasons, which in turn produce more allergens like grass and pollen throughout the year. Temperature increases could also cause a significant habitat expansion for tree species like oak and hickory trees, which are known to be common allergens.

Poor air quality and increased CO2 levels can also increase the growth and production of certain allergens. For instance, ragweedâa common allergen trigger of hay fever, which is a group of symptoms that affects the nose through either seasonal pollen allergies or perennial mold or dander allergiesâgrows faster and produces more pollen under increased carbon dioxide levels. Air pollution and smog also cause higher levels of CO2, which in turn results in warmer temperatures, further continuing the cycle and contributing to the abundance of allergens.

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Allegra Is Here To Help Fight Outdoor Allergies

Allegra® works to block histamines, providing 24-hour relief from allergy symptoms.

Allegra® helps you live your best life by relieving many common outdoor allergy symptoms. If you experience sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, or an itchy nose or throat, Allegra® can help. For nasal congestion, sinus congestion and pressure, swelling of nasal passages, and other allergy symptoms, try Allegra-D®.

No matter which product you choose, you can feel good knowing Allegra® is the #1 allergist-recommended non-drowsy brand of adult OTC antihistamines.*

How Common Are Food Allergies

Nine foods cause most food allergy reactions. They are milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish, and shellfish.

• About 32 million people have food allergies in the U.S.8,9
• About 26 million U.S. adults have food allergies.8
• About 5.6 million U.S. children have food allergies.9

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How Common Are Drug Allergies

• Severe drug reactions account for 3% to 6% of all hospital admissions worldwide. Drug allergy accounts for less than 10% of these severe drug reactions.12
• The most commonly reported drug allergy is to penicillin, with up to 10% of people saying they are allergic to these drugs. However, less than 10% of these people are actually allergic to penicillin drugs when evaluated for these allergies.13

What Time Of Day Is The Pollen Count The Highest

Pollen counts are lowest before dawn, rise to their peak by mid-day and slowly fall in the evenings. On high pollen count days, there may still be higher-than-normal amounts pollen in the air in the evening. Weather also has a big impact on pollen counts. Dry, windy conditions increase the amount of pollen in the air, and rain lowers it.

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Lab Results Hint At Possibilities

Even as researchers grapple with limited field data, they continue to produce compelling results in climate-controlled chambers that predict future effects on allergenic species. In her research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Kristina Stinson, an assistant professor of environmental conservation, grows ragweed in greenhouses containing CO2 at levels ranging from 360 ppmjust under the current ambient concentrationto 720 ppm. Stinson says higher CO2 levels could force evolutionary changes in ragweed. A study she published in 2011 showed that genotypes that are suppressed at current CO2 levels devoted more resources to reproduction as CO2 levels rose.24 In other words, she says, more genotypes overall were flowering. Stinson says that while she didnt measure pollen output directly, we do note that more vigorous flowering and higher pollen production are usually correlated.

Warming is expected to increase with increasing distance from the equator. One multiyear study in North America found that pollen seasons lengthened incrementally with increasing northern latitudeby up to 4 weekswhile decreasing slightly in the southernmost monitoring location.

Source: U.S. EPA, based on data from Ziska et al. 13,11

Causes Of Seasonal Allergies

Hay fever happens when your immune system identifies an airborne substance thats usually harmless as dangerous. It responds to that substance, or allergen, by releasing histamines and other chemicals into your bloodstream. Those chemicals produce the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Common triggers of hay fever vary from one season to another.

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Christina Ciaccio Md Msc

Christina Ciaccio, MD, MSc, provides compassionate care for children and adults with food and environmental allergies, allergic rhinitis, urticaria and angioedema, allergic rashes and asthma. She strongly believes in educating patients and their families, and involving them in the care process in a meaningful way.

How Long Do Seasonal Allergies Last

Seasonal allergies usually last for two to three weeks before the pollen levels drop to a manageable level again8. Grass Pollen usually peaks from mid-May until July, while Ragweed season tends to cover the Fall months especially September and October.

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References:

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Outdoor Allergies: A Month

Outdoor allergies can ruin even the best-planned outdoor events. Grass pollen has you sneezing through your summer picnic. Ragweed ruins your fall smore party. You can barely see those beautiful spring blooms through your itchy, watery eyes!

The good news is, most outdoor allergens have a specific season. That makes it easy to limit your time outdoors when your allergies will be in full swing if you know when your allergy season is. To help you get the most out of your outdoor activities, heres a month-by-month guide to common outdoor allergies.

While outdoor allergies are at a low during the winter, you may find your indoor allergies ramping up. As people flock indoors and crank up the heat, they kick up dust mites, mold spores, and pet dander that can make winter allergies just as bad as spring and fall. Limit your exposure by keeping your indoor humidity levels low and using a vacuum with a HEPA filter regularly.

Trees begin to pollinate in February, bringing the first wave of spring allergies to your door. Oak, walnut, elm, pecan, and maple trees are the most common allergy culprits in the United States, among others. Tree allergies cause typical spring reactions like sneezing, watery eyes, and nasal congestion.

Rising tree pollen is the primary allergy culprit during March. If spring comes early, grasses and flowers may also begin to bloom, adding to the daily pollen count.

May

Trees Grasses And Weeds Are Often To Blame

Ragweed, which grows throughout most of the U.S., produces pollen in the fall.

Ah, spring. It’s the time of year when the cold starts to wane, and trees and flowers blossom.

But if you’re one of the many people who suffer from seasonal allergies, those pretty trees and plants may make you feel worse, not better.

That’s because of pollen, a powdery substance made by trees, weeds, and grasses.

Pollen is harmless, but if you have seasonal allergies, your body mistakes the pollen for something dangerous and tries to attack it. This reaction causes symptoms like coughing, a runny or stuffy nose, and itchy, watery eyes. You might feel like you have a cold.

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How Common Are Seasonal Allergies

• In 2018, approximately 24 million people in the U.S. were diagnosed with seasonal allergic rhinitis . This equals around 8% of adults and 7% of children.1,7
• Seasonal allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction to pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds. This type of rhinitis occurs mainly in the spring and fall when pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds are in the air.
• In 2018, white children were more likely to have hay fever than Black children.7
• The same triggers for indoor/outdoor allergies also often cause eye allergies.

What Is An Allergy Test

An allergist performs tests to pinpoint the cause of your allergic reactions.

There are two kinds of tests:

• Skin tests: The doctor pricks the surface of the skin, usually on the upper arm, and injects a tiny amount of suspected allergens. If an allergy exists, the skin will react by becoming inflamed, red and swollen, which may cause temporary discomfort. Skin tests give fast resultsusually within a half hour or 24 to 48 hours.
• Blood tests: Blood is drawn and sent to a lab. The disadvantage is that it may take several days for the results to come back. However, more allergens can be tested with blood tests than with skin tests, Blood tests are used to identify seasonal allergies as well as perennial allergies, plus allergies to food, medications, and insect bites or stings. If you have chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema, blood tests are recommended instead of skin tests to prevent further irritation.

Its important to tell your allergist about any medications you are taking because some can compromise your allergy test results.

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