How To Find Relief During Allergy Season In Arizona
We hear the struggles from our patients who suffer from seasonal allergies all the time. Their eyes are constantly red, their nose wont stop running, their head aches are so bad that sometimes even taking Tylenol doesnt help. One of the worst symptoms can be the constant fatigue, and compounding that is the relentless Arizona summer heat. It makes you feel drained, unproductive, and unmotivated. Heres 3 tips for finding some relief:
Mesquite Pollen Creating Terrible Allergies For Tucsonans
TUCSON, Ariz. – The weather in Tucson this time of year is near perfect, but with it comes allergy season.
And if youve recently been sneezing more, youre not alone. Spring may be a few days away, but Tucsonans with allergies are already feeling the effects of pollen in the air, especially in the last few weeks.
But despite being more than a year into the pandemic, people are still having trouble telling the difference between allergies and COVID-19.
Mesquite trees are a Tucson staple, but when they start to bloom, the pollen wreaks havoc.
Its the mesquite pollen, Im seeing it already. Its the number one thing that people are allergic to in our population among the patients that come to see me. We studied this a few years ago and mesquite tree pollen is number one. Palo Verde is number two, says Dr. Tara Carr, Head of the Adult Allergy Clinic at Banner-University Medical Center.
She also says says, prepare for the worst, but hope for the best this allergy season, especially with the intensity of springtime pollens.
But it seems lately, any sneeze or sniffle makes the mind wanderallergies, or COVID-19?
If it feels like what they get each year, then theyre probable suffering from seasonal allergies, but if theres any fever or achiness or general sense of un-wellness, then I would be concerned about COVID, says Dr. Carr.
If you have any doubts, its of course best to get tested. But now is definitely the time those allergies take off.
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Finding Relief From Your Desert Allergies
Of course, it isn’t enough to list everything that can cause allergic reactions. The list above is in no way exhaustive. Medical journals exist for such lists.
What can you do about these pollens that make you feel awful and limit your outdoor activities?
- Protect your HomeAs much as possible, try to keep dust out of your house. For the inside of your home, get a good quality air purifier. When emptying the dust, do so outside.When arriving home from work or a day out, change and shower. This keeps pollens and dust youve picked up while out from getting everywhere in your home.Another way to collect dust involves cheesecloth. Put cheesecloth over the vents in your house to trap dust and pollens. Fold it over several times, because the holes in cheesecloth are very large, so several layers are required for this to be effective in catching allergens. Cheesecloth is inexpensive and can be removed, cleaned, and reused.In your yard, try to alter your landscaping to better manage your allergies. If a certain species of grass bothers you, plant a different grass. Also, look into landscaping designs that use fewer plants. The same goes for trees, get rid of the ones which aggravate your allergies most.
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Allergy Season Begins In The Valley
PHOENIX It’s the time of year many of us dread. Pollen is flying across the state, which is why many have been dealing with runny noses, watery eyes, coughing, and constant sneezing.
The culprits right now are juniper and ash, and this is only the beginning for allergy season.
“Everything will be blooming soon, particularly all the desert trees will be blooming. A lot of the plants and shrubbery will be blooming. There’s going to be a lot of allergens in the air,” says Dr. Thomas Ardiles with Banner University Medical Center.
The desert landscape combined with the urban sprawl gives Phoenicians a double dose of allergens, which includes plants and dust.
The wet winter may lead to an even more severe allergy season, but Dr. Ardiles says many are still affected even when it’s dry due to the wind moving the pollen around.
He also says to stay on top of your medications if you do suffer from allergies. Once they hit, it’s hard to overcome the inflammatory response.
Allergy season generally sticks around until the fall once temperatures cool down.
Allergy Forecast: A Bad Year For Everyone
Like taxes, allergy season is one of those things you just cant avoid. In fact, due to climate change, it may be getting worse. Warmer temperatures lead to more pollen production, so 2021 may be the most intense allergy season yet. And due to COVID-19 quarantine, children may especially have a rough year.
When is allergy season?
It starts in the spring and continues until the fall, but different allergens, the substances that trigger allergies, appear at different times.
: As spring begins, tree pollen is the top allergen, followed by weeds and grasses. In some parts of Maryland, its not unusual to see cars covered by the itchy stuff.
May to July: In May, all the trees, grass and weeds gang up to pump out allergens, making it a bad time for allergy sufferers. This is the start of peak allergy season, which continues until July.
: Enter ragweed, a common flowering plant. Ragweed is the leading cause of seasonal allergies, with 75% of all sufferers allergic to it.
With temperatures falling and plants starting to go dormant, the air starts to clear, bringing an end to outdoor allergy season. Now its possible to breathe a sigh of relief without coughing.
See the Interactive Allergy Forecaster for allergy conditions where you live.
COVID-19 and childrens allergies
Surviving allergy season
If your or your childs allergy symptoms are severe or continue a long time, your health care provider may be able to help or refer you to an allergist.
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Whats The Weather Like In Arizona In The Winter
The Arizona desert warmed up early this year. The cooling temperature that we enjoy during the winter season was so minimal that the winter season was virtually non-existent. Spring made its appearance early with mild and pleasing temperatures but not pleasing for the allergy sufferer who began dealing with symptoms early on.
Tips For Surviving Seasonal Allergies In Arizona
Spring has officially arrived in Arizona, and along with the gorgeous weather and blooming palo verde trees, comes dreaded seasonal allergies. Pollen and dust fill the air which can trigger sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes and throat irritation. This is your bodys immune system responding to a foreign substance, and it happens to many of us this time of year.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, allergic rhinitis is common and affects more than 26 million adults and children in the U.S. If youre one of the unlucky ones who struggle with seasonal allergies, below are four steps you can take to help you survive allergy season.
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Find out if its allergies. First, in order to properly treat your symptoms, you need to determine what youre dealing with: is it allergies, a cold, the flu or a sinus infection? The symptoms can be very similar, but if youre running fever, its probably a cold, the flu or a sinus infection . If youre experiencing body aches and chills, its probably a cold or the flu, whereas if your pain is concentrated in your face it could be a sinus infection. Another sign is the color of your mucusif it is yellow or green, you might have the flu or a sinus infection, but if it is clear its likely just allergies. If youre still unsure, make an appointment with your doctor to get a professional diagnosis.
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What Is An Allergic Reaction
Now that you know some allergens that you may face in Arizona, lets talk about allergic reactions. You may be all too familiar with some of the symptoms already: stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and even rashes.
Understandably, you might think that the main cause of these reactions is one of the allergens we mentioned before. After all, your bodys immune system has a way of fighting off foreign substances, so they must be the cause of your allergiesright?
In truth, the real cause of your allergies is not the allergen itself, but how your immune system can overreact in response.
Typically, an immune system will produce something called a histamine.
Histamine is a neutralizing agent that is produced when a foreign substance comes into contact with the body.
A healthy immune system produces the right amount of histamine to help your bodys defenses against allergens.
On the other hand, an unhealthy immune system may overproduce histamine. This overproduction of histamine can lead to the symptoms we mentioned before.
If an unhealthy immune system is the cause of your troublesome allergies, what can you do to fix it?
Ditch The Itch: Help Your Pet Handle Allergy Season In Arizona
When spring blows into Arizona, so do a slew of allergens–including ones that can be rough on our four-legged friends. Yes, its true! Seasonal allergies dont just affect humans–your dog deals with them, too.
Any pet can experience seasonal allergies, however, animals who live in warmer areas–where things are always blooming–are certainly prone to having a harder time than pets who live in areas where there is a true winter season. If you live in an area that doesn’t have a hard freeze in the winter, environmental allergens can build up and cause year-round issues for your pet. Additionally, seasonal allergies can progress to year-round allergies. Why? Because the more your pet is exposed to the allergens he’s sensitive to, the more intense and long-lasting his allergic response becomes.
While cleaning products, food, mold, and mildew are common allergy culprits, those are different than seasonal, or environmental allergens. Seasonal allergens that can trigger an allergic response in your pet include dust, dust mites, pollen, grass, and flea bites.
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When Is Allergy Season In Northern Arizona
August 6, 2020 By FBN
Its ragweed time again! It seems like allergies are a year-round problem in Northern Arizona. Why is that? We live in a unique climate because of the lower elevation areas surrounding Flagstaff. Pollen can travel very long distances, so we are also affected by allergy season in the Phoenix, Sedona and Cottonwood areas. So, when Flagstaff is covered with snow, juniper pollen travels from warmer climates. As the state heats up, people go outdoors, wildflowers bloom and ragweed comes to Flagstaff. Whether it is seasonal allergies, food allergies or asthma, there is no need to suffer. Get your life back! Dont let an allergy or asthma knock you down.
As an allergy and asthma sufferer myself, I have a strong passion for what I do. I enjoy being very active and love all things adventure and outdoors. By getting asthma and allergies, which I have suffered from since childhood, under control, I have been able to pursue my passion for trail running, hiking and biking. I love helping others breathe easy, enjoy the outdoors, sleep well, and be active without the fears asthma can bring. FBN
Lindsey Forstie, FNP, is an allergy specialist. The Vuori Health Allergy and Asthma Center is now seeing patients in its Sedona and Flagstaff clinics. The center offers personalized, same-day allergy skin testing, and an at-home treatment option with sublingual drops. For more information, visit vuorihealth.com or call 928-224-2834.
Office locations:
Flagstaff: 2001 N. 4th St
Where To Get Allergy Treatment When All Else Fails
Allergies can be a really tough issue to deal with. Fortunately, Arizona has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy them without compromising your health! At AlphaMeD we focus on keeping you healthy so you get back to life. If your experiencing allergic reactions or need relief from Arizona allergies come see us! AlphaMed is a group of neighborhood urgent care clinics in Arizona. We offer a range of walk-in services including allergy and minor allergic reactions. Book an appointment online or walk-in to our Urgent Care clinics today.
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What Are The Biggest Pollen Producers In Arizona
The top allergy-aggravating plant is Ragweed. Nothing about that word makes anyone smile… With several species being native to the Phoenix area, Ragweed creates LOTS of pollen.
Trees make plenty of pollen too, especially between December and May.
- Western juniper, mountain cedar, and hickory make wintertime uncomfortable. When they are finished, other trees pick up the slack. Mesquite clogs the air with pollen from March until May.
- Pine and paloverde cause trouble from Valentine’s day until the April showers. Oak and olive make April and May a pain .
- Then you have the grasses, these produce irritating pollen from March or April through October. Bermuda grass, in particular, produces a high level of allergens to make your life miserable.
- Even tumbleweed has a part to play. While it has decorated western movies for decades, if you have allergies, keep your distance.
When Is Allergy Season In Phoenix
Pollen, dust, and pollution can be found in the Valley any time of the year, but we don’t want it to ruin your day. Knowing what you may be allergic to can help you better manage them.
In Arizona, allergy symptoms are the most problematic in the spring, when trees, plants, weeds and grass come back to life after the winter. At one-point allergists used to recommend that their patients move to the desert to escape allergy symptoms, but with many non-native trees and plants being introduced to the desert landscape, that recommendation is occurring less and less.
Allergies in Phoenix and surrounding areas also tend to have another peak in the late summer months of August and September when certain weeds and shrubs are thriving.
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Arizona Allergy Season Is Here3 Ways To Handle Those Pesky Allergy Symptoms
Spring is in the air, and as such allergies are reaching a peak. Our year-round growing season here in Arizona means that there are more pollen sources available to enact allergy reactions. Pollution is also common, and mold spores can lead to asthma symptoms when inhaled through breathing. This article will discuss how you might best stay healthy during the spring and summer months, which tend to be our peak allergy seasons here in the valley of the sun.
Common Weed And Shrub Allergies In Phoenix
Careless Weed â A flowering plant that is often mistaken for pigweed, careless weed is not native to Arizona, but can be found along the sides of roads and covering open fields. Careless weed pollinates May through November, with the peak season being August and September.
Ragweed â A perennial weed, ragweed is arguably the most common allergen that is known to have two peak seasons, one in the spring and one in the fall.
Russian Thistle is a type of tumbleweed that many are sensitive to in the Phoenix region. Contact with Russian thistle can lead to skin rashes and other more typical allergy symptoms like itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, congestion, and runny nose. Russian thistle pollinates May through November, with the peak season being September and October.
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How Does The Weather Affect Allergy Symptoms
According to the National Weather Service in Phoenix, the past few months have been drier and breezier than usual. Dry, windy conditions are perfect for spreading pollen in the air.
Rain washes allergens out of the air, but that relief is short-lived.
Rain will initially bring down the pollution and all the particulates so that will give you nice and fresh clean air,” Leyko said. “The rain seeps into the ground and fuels the growth and then a few weeks down the line you will get some ground sprouting and we actually get weed growth. Weeks to months later we have this vegetation that grows wild in the desert.
“When it rains, yes, it does initially clear up the air pollution and the particulates in the air, but it does fuel growth of wild plants in the desert.
Boost Your Immune Systems Function With A Chiropractor
Now you know more about some common Arizona allergies and what an allergic reaction is.
In what way can you proactively deal with these allergies? By addressing the root of your problem and not just the allergy symptoms, of course!
The root of these allergy problems is often an unhealthy immune system caused by a misaligned spine.
How can a misaligned spine lead to an unhealthy immune system?
When your upper cervical spine is not aligned, your brain is unable to send messages to every part of your bodyincluding your immune system.
To determine if your spine is in alignment and if your immune system is at an optimal level, you should visit your chiropractor.
By visiting an Upper Cervical Chiropractor, like Begin Within Family Wellness, you will receive a comprehensive consultation.
This consultation will help your chiropractor understand what the root cause of your symptoms is. Then, if chiropractic care is right for you, youll benefit from a personalized care plan that aims to adjust and maintain proper spine health.
To receive a complimentary consultation, contact Begin Within Family Wellness at 699-3086 and take charge of your bodys overall health today!
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