When Are Allergies The Worst

Runny Noses In Cold Weather

As the weather starts to turn cold and crisp, you might notice that you are packing your pockets with tissues. But having a runny nose in cold weather usually isn’t due to allergiesit is non-allergic vasomotor rhinitis. This non-allergic form of rhinitis may result in a runny nose, post-nasal drip, and/or nasal congestion. It is caused by a number of triggers, including temperature changes, windy weather, changes in humidity, strong odors, perfumes, and smoke.

How Can I Live Mold Free

Treating Allergies In Houston

Avoiding allergens is usually the first recommendation to manage allergy symptoms, however, this can often be difficult. Some allergy prevention tips may include:

• Venetian blinds

• General clutter or dust catchers

Get rid of items like stuffed animals, draperies, carpeting or upholstered furniture in the bedrooms.

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Wall Street Legend Warns: A Strange Day Is Coming To America

Published on November 17, 2021 at by Insider Monkey Staff

While most Americans want to put 2020 behind them

And a return to normal life

A massive and surprising new transition could determine the next group of millionaires, says Chaikin, who predicted the 2020 market crash. While leaving 99% of the public worse off than before.

If you own regular stocks, youre in for a big surprise, he adds.

Chaikin, who has appeared numerous times on CNBCs Fast Money, says that you absolutely must consider buying one particular type of investment right now, before its too late.

And no, its not cryptocurrencies.

I grew up in a world where you could do extremely well by investing in ordinary companies, Chaikin says. Its how I spent the majority of my 50-year career on Wall Street.

My Dust Mite Allergies Were Worst During 2 Seasons

Before I was tested for allergies, it was difficult for me to understand why I felt the way I did. I knew I was experiencing symptoms year-round, but I didnt get it.

I had never heard of dust mites . Summer and Winter were the hardest for me and I expect it will be the same for you.

Summer Season

Dust mites thrive in summer. Its the worst time of year for dust mite allergy because it combines warmth and moisture two things that dust mites need. In humid areas like the American Mid-West, East, and South, summers can be miserable for people with dust mite allergy.

Humidity provides a lot of air moisture needed for dust mites to survive, and not only survive but thrive. Humid homes also make a great environment for indoor mold, another serious allergen. If you have a basement, you can likely feel the high humidity in the summer .

In the Western U.S., where summers are drier, dust mites dont have access to as much moisture so allergic individuals should have fewer, more manageable symptoms. Summers are less of an issue for dust mites in places like Arizona, Nevada, and California.

Winter Season

So, who has allergies in the winter? People with dust mite allergy do! Winter dust mite allergies can be tough to determine. In the winter, homes usually have poor ventilation to maintain warmth. I lived in a home with carpeting throughout and forced-air heating.

In the winter my family would use the heater. I came to realize 2 things:

What about Spring and Autumn Seasons?

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Additional Tips To Manage And Control Your Fall Allergies

• When possible, stay inside and keep doors and windows closed when pollen is at its highest to get daily pollen counts in our area or visit Pollen.com for your own local area.
• Before you turn on the heat in your house for the first time, make sure to clean the heating vents and change filters. Sometimes mold and other allergens get trapped in the vents over our humid summers and will fill the air in your house once the heat kicks on.
• Invest in a HEPA filter for your homes HVAC system. These filters force air through a fine mesh and traps harmful allergens and particles such as pollen, pet dander, mites, and tobacco smoke.
• Use a dehumidifier to keep the air inside your home below 50% humidity.
• Wear a mask when working outside and in your yard so you dont breathe in mold sporesthis is especially important if you are raking leaves or picking up decaying grass clippings.

With proper care and clean up, and some preventative medications, you can enjoy the great fall weather we have here in Jacksonville.

Contact us to schedule an appointment for allergy screenings or to discuss an allergy management plan.

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When Should I Start Taking Allergy Meds

Theres no point in waiting until youre miserable to take allergy meds, especially if you want to keep up your outdoor workouts. In fact, allergists recommend you start taking meds a couple weeks before allergy season arrives, or, at the latest, take them the moment you begin having symptoms, says Dr. Parikh. Taking them early can stop an immune system freak-out before it happens, lessening the severity of symptoms, he adds. Check out the National Allergy Map to figure out when to start taking meds depending on where you live.

As for which allergy meds to take, if youre seriously stuffed, start with steroid nasal sprays such as Flonase or Rhinocort, which reduce inflammation-induced stuffiness, says Dr. Keet. And if you’ve got itching, sneezing, and a runny nose, too, look for non-sedating antihistamines such as Zyrtec, Xyzal, or Allegra, she adds. Just remember: While OTC allergy meds suppress symptoms, they dont cure the problem, so they may be less effective if your allergies are worsening, notes Dr. Parikh.

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How Can I Protect Myself And/or My Child From These Seasonal Allergies

During the pollen and mold season, we recommend jumping in the shower as soon as you get home every night to rinse the pollen off. Put cold, wet washcloths over your eyes and gently squeeze them to rinse the pollen out of your eyes. You may need to keep the air conditioner running through much of the season to keep the pollen out of the house. We never recommend staying indoors all summer, however! We encourage everyone to spend time outside playing as a family.

Will Vinegar Kill Mold Spores

White vinegar is a mildly acidic product that cleans, deodorizes, and disinfects. It can also kill 82% of mold species, including black mold, on porous and non-porous surfaces. You can use it safely on most surfaces, and its offensive odor goes away quickly. Pour undiluted white vinegar into a spray bottle.

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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.

Lying Down Worsens Congestion

Gravity is not your friend when it comes to your bedtime allergies. When you lie down, basically everything in your nose starts dripping down your throat, Dr. Parikh explains. Due to the anatomy of the nose and throat, that can lead to more or worse coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing than when youre standing upright, she says.

Propping yourself up with some extra pillows might help ease congestion and post-nasal drip while you sleep.

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Common Seasonal Allergy Triggers

If you sneeze and cough during certain times of the year, you may have seasonal allergies. However, occasional allergies arent something you just have to live with.

In many areas of the United States, spring allergies begin in February and last until the early summer. Tree pollination begins earliest in the year followed by grass pollination later in the spring and summer and ragweed in the late summer and fall. In tropical climates, however, grass may pollinate throughout a good portion of the year. Mild winter temperatures can cause plants to pollinate early. A rainy spring can also promote rapid plant growth and lead to an increase in mold, causing symptoms to last well into the fall.

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.

Other plants that trigger fall allergies include:

• Burning bush
• Sagebrush and mugwort
• Tumbleweed and Russian thistle

While the timing and severity of an allergy season vary across the country, the following climate factors also can influence how bad your symptoms might be:

Find expert care with an Allergist.

An allergist can pinpoint the cause and help you find relief.

Dallas Ranks #5 On The National List Of Worst Cities For Allergies

Allergy season is here, and no other area in the country is more susceptible to allergies than North Texas. More patients are prone to allergic symptoms during fall and spring.

Allergies affect millions of people each year. Dallas ranks #5 in the nation on the list of worst cities for allergies. Allergies occur when there is an inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane called rhinitis. Typical symptoms include sneezing and a runny or itchy nose that is caused by irritation or congestion in the nose. There are two types: allergic rhinitis and non-allergic rhinitis.

Allergic Rhinitis occurs when non-infectious particles take over the bodyâs immune system. Today, common substances that people come in contact with every day can be allergic triggers including plant pollens, food, molds, dust mites, feathers, animal dander, chemicals such as tobacco smoke, various foods, medicines, and insect venom.

Non-Allergic Rhinitis is not dependent on any specific allergic reaction. The symptoms can be triggered by cigarette smoke and other pollutants, as well as strong odors, alcoholic beverages, and cold. Other causes may include blockages in the nose, a deviated septum, infections, and over-use of medications such as decongestants.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, come to the Dallas Sinus Institute and learn about the different allergy treatment options we offer.

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Dallas Blows Onto List Of Worst Places In Us For Seasonal Allergies

Courtesy photo

Frostbite is giving way to mild weather, and that leads to Texas most dreaded springtime trait: allergy season. According to a new report, Dallas is among the most challenging cities in the U.S. for those suffering with seasonal allergies and its likely to get worse in coming years.

In its annual Allergy Capitals report, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America identified the top 100 most allergy-inducing metropolitan areas in the country for 2021, with Dallas landing at No. 19 and earning a worse-than-average overall score.

As anyone who endures cedar fever can attest, Texas springtime allergens are merciless. But according to the AAFA report, springtime allergens in Dallas arent that much worse than they are in fall. The city ranks 19th on the reports list of most allergic cities in the spring season, and 21st worst in the fall.

Nonprofit AAFA has produced the report since 2003 in an effort to help more than 50 million allergy sufferers in the U.S. prevent and manage their seasonal-allergy symptoms. The report is bases city rankings on three key factors: spring and fall seasonal pollen scores, use of over-the-counter allergy medications, and the number of allergy specialists in the area.

In a move likely to surprise any Texan battling allergies, the AAFA claims the most challenging place in the U.S. to live with allergies in 2021 is Scranton, Pennsylvania, followed by Richmond, Virginia, then Wichita, Kansas.

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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Spring Allergies Return To East Texas

TYLER, Texas While health officials continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, spring allergies are making their return to East Texas.

This allergy season, I think its fairly consistent with what we usually have, Dr. Jonathan Buttram of UT Health said. Pollination is always prolific in East Texas, and so spring is often one of the worst times of the year for allergic patients

Dr. Buttram says smaller tree pollen is the cause of most of the issues during allergy season.

Thats what you see kind of floating around in the air and all over your driveway, Dr. Buttram explained. The pine pollen is the typical just yellow dust that you see everywhere, but pine pollen is very large, and so it doesnt penetrate the airways as well as other tree pollens do. It is not necessarily the most problematic.

The typical symptoms for spring allergies are red eyes and itchy, stuffy or runny noses. It is easily distinguishable from infectious diseases like COVID-19.With COVID-19 the predominant feature there is fever and with allergies you dont have fevers with viral illnesses you do, Dr. Buttram explained.

Finally, Dr. Buttram encourages people to bathe pets that go outside every week or do to reduce the amount of allergens they bring into the home.

In Other News

Articles On Seasonal Allergies

• Pollen Allergies

Do your eyes water on windy days? Are you always stuffy when it rains? That’s no surprise. Weather is a common allergy trigger.

The connection between your symptoms and the weather depends on what youâre allergic to. Here are a few common triggers:

• Dry, windy days. Wind blows pollen into the air, causing hay fever. If you have pollen allergies, shut the windows and stay indoors on windy days.
• Rainy or humid days. Moisture makes mold grow, both indoors and out. Dust mites also thrive in humid air. But if you’re allergic to pollen, humid or damp days are good. The moisture weighs down the pollen, keeping it on the ground.
• Cold air. Many people with allergic asthma find that cold air is a problem, especially when they exercise outside. It can trigger a coughing fit.
• Heat. Air pollution is worst on hot summer days. Ozone and smog can be a serious trigger for people with allergic asthma.

The change of seasons also has a big effect on allergies.

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When To Seek Medical Help

If you’re unresponsive to over-the-counter allergy medication or if your allergies cause you to cough or wheeze, you could suffer from more than allergies – which means it’s time to see a doctor. Allergies can turn into asthma or an upper-respiratory illness such as bronchitis or a sinus infection, so it’s important to see an allergist who can assess your symptoms and develop a tailored treatment plan, which includes testing you for food allergies, asthma, and other conditions.

What Are The Best Allergy Treatment Options

There are several good options available without the inconvenience or expense of visiting a physician. The two primary medications are antihisamines and nasal steriouds.

An antihistamine tries to block the receptor before the histamine gets there or to bump the histamine off, but antihistamine attaches in such a manner as to relieve symptoms.

However, there is a competition between the histamine and the antihistamine. With mild allergy symptoms, or low pollen counts, an antihistamine is sufficient. If the pollen counts rise, or allergies are more severe, it is not possible to take enough antihistamine to overcome the effects of the histamine.

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