How Can I Manage My Fall Allergy Symptoms
Being proactive will help lessen fall allergies. Dr. Ogden recommends staying aware of local pollen counts and limiting your time outdoors on high-allergy days. She also stressed the importance of making an appointment with a board-certified allergy specialist. “This is an efficient way to identify your allergic triggers and optimize your allergy treatment, so you aren’t roaming the pharmacy aisles or ending up in urgent care when you are not feeling well,” Dr. Ogden explained. “This is a key first step in treating allergies effectively!”
Your doctor may suggest taking allergy medicine as a preventive measure. Dr. Jain typically recommends taking a daily, non-sedating antihistamine, such as Zyrtec or Claritin, during peak allergy season, in order to avoid having your symptoms flare up. Other options include nasal sprays. “Steroid nasal sprays such as Flonase are a great option for a controller medication during the fall to reduce inflammation and reduce severity of symptoms,” Dr. Jain told POPSUGAR. You may also need to use an inhaler if fall allergens trigger asthma symptoms.
If you’re still struggling to manage your symptoms, your doctor may recommend other treatment options, such as allergy shots or immunotherapy. Fall allergies are an annoying fact of life, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer! With over-the-counter medication, basic preventative measures, and the help of an allergist, you can go back to enjoying all your favorite outdoor fall activities again.
Can Seasonal Allergies Cause Stomach Upset
My wife often starts a few young seedlings of spinach, lettuce, and tomatoes in a sunny window before they go outside for the spring.
Recently, when we had a few baby plants in the house, I started having headaches and stomach upset and couldn’t find a cause until I spotted a few little sprouts of pollen that had shot up from the baby spinach.
Once the offending plant was moved outside, my symptoms went away.
As a functional medicine doctor, I am used to seeing new patients who have been misdiagnosed for years due to symptoms that don’t quite fit the mold of a standard diagnosis.
There are, no doubt, many people unnecessarily suffering because of a misunderstanding of how we think of certain conditions.
Choosing The Right Allergy Medication
Allergy medications can greatly reduce your symptoms, but what medications should you be taking?
The answer depends on the severity of your symptoms and to what exactly youre allergic, says allergy and asthma specialist Dr. Reichmuth.
For mild seasonal allergies, over the counter medications usually do the trick. But if you feel like your allergies are getting worse year after year and your usual OTC medications are losing their effectiveness, it might be time to see an allergist.
An allergist can help you create an effective allergy management plan based on your symptoms and how long they last.
Also Check: Fexofenadine Vs Allegra
Treat Youral Lergy Symptoms
No matter how vigilant you are, you can’t get rid of spring allergens all together. That’s why it’s important to treat your symptoms every day. Unlike most allergy pills, once-daily FLONASE nasal sprays treat nasal congestion,* one of the most bothersome symptoms,6 plus sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose, and itchy, watery eyes.Learn how FLONASE can help you get the most from the spring season, without your symptoms.
*vs single-ingredient antihistamines that do not treat nasal congestion.
FLONASE SENSIMIST is indicated for itchy, watery eyes in adults and children 12 years of age and older. See product pages for full information.
Spring Allergies Dont Have To Wear You Down
Why are allergies bad during spring? Now that you know all of the important facts about spring allergies, you can do your best to avoid feeling run down. Since spring is a time of rebirth, hopefully youll be able to enjoy this optimistic season to the fullest.
Do you want to learn other ways you can adopt a healthier and happier lifestyle? Explore our site to find more tips and guides on a wide range of wellness topics.
Also Check: What Allergy Medicine Is Stronger Than Zyrtec
Why Are My Allergies Worse In The Fall
As crisp autumn air arrives, it can bring more than cooler temperatures. People with seasonal allergies may notice their allergy symptoms acting up in the fall.
“The biggest culprit of allergies in the fall is weeds. Winds can blow lightweight pollens longer distancesand that can be bad news for allergy sufferers,” says allergist Cecilia Nguyen, MD, of Intermountain Southridge Clinic.
“It doesn’t really matter what’s in your neighbor’s yard or your yard because weeds can pollinate for miles,” she adds. “On windy days, you’ll see a lot more pollen flying around. It can be spring, summer, or fall, and depending if you’re allergic to any indoor allergens as well, you can have allergies year-round.”
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.
Don’t Miss: 24hr Allergy Medications
Allergen Immunotherapy Is A Long
Medications only reduce the severity of symptoms and do not cure allergic rhinitis. Another treatment option is allergen immunotherapy which is also known as desensitisation. AIT switches off the allergic reaction, by repeatedly introducing small doses of allergen extracts, by injection, sublingual tablets, sprays or drops.
AIT is a long term treatment which is usually given over a few years.
It should only be started after assessment by a clinical immunology/allergy specialist to determine if this is a suitable treatment option.
ASCIA is the peak professional body of clinical immunology/allergy specialists in Australia and New Zealand.
ASCIA resources are based on published literature and expert review, however, they are not intended to replace medical advice. The content of ASCIA resources is not influenced by any commercial organisations.
For more information go to www.allergy.org.au
To donate to immunology/allergy research go to www.allergyimmunology.org.au
Why Are Allergies Bad During Spring
Did you know that over 50 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies each year?
With warmer weather rolling around, you might be bracing yourself for clogged sinuses, itchy eyes, and a scratchy throat.
Why are allergies bad during spring and what can you do to survive this season? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about spring allergies.
Don’t Miss: What Allergy Medicine Is Stronger Than Zyrtec
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.
RELATED: 8 Ways to Get Rid of Post-Nasal Drip
Are There Home Remedies To Help With Cough
There are several home remedies you can try which may help with easing your persistent cough.
A warm drink of honey and lemon can reduce the irritation at the back of your throat and ease your cough, even if only temporarily. The lemon acts as a disinfectant to prevent any infections from developing or worsening your conditionKeeping hydrated by drinking plenty of water is important. This will not only help to prevent your throat from becoming dry or irritated, but also flush out any pollen which has lodged in your throat and paletteAvoid dry or smoky atmospheres, and if possible, avoid going outside at times when the pollen count is high.
Also Check: How To Sleep Better With Allergies
Mowing Your Lawn If Youre Allergic To Grass
“And if someone else is cutting their lawn dont go outside,” said Fajt.
A sublingual tablet is available for grass allergies. It contains low levels of grass pollen and melts under your tongue. You have to take it every day and its just for grass, whereas shots can cover a wide variety of allergens.
Histamine Can Cause Stomach Upset
When histamine is released in the gastrointestinal tract, it can cause symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation.
Underlying conditions and imbalances can also cause too much histamine to be released.
A few examples are small intestinal bacterial overgrowth , underlying or low-grade infection, poor diet, heavy metal toxicity, nutrient deficiencies, and food sensitivities.
What is referred to as histamine intolerance or histamine sensitivity is usually a combination of a few underlying factors .
In a case of histamine intolerance, an individual can become sensitized to histamine-containing foods, histamine-releasing foods, as well as classic environmental allergens.
A common treatment for histamine intolerance is to be on a special diet and take supplemental medication – but those with histamine intolerance will only have moderate success without personalized treatment to address the underlying cause.
Read more about Histamine Intolerance
Don’t Miss: What Allergy Medicine Is Stronger Than Zyrtec
Keep Your Windows Closed
After months of having the heat on blast and keeping the windows sealed tight, you may be tempted to open your windows when spring comes around. However, doing so may welcome a nighttime stuffy nose and other common allergy symptoms.
If you suffer from spring allergies, it is best to keep your windows and doors closed to avoid pollen coming into your home. This doesnt mean you cant enjoy the beautiful outdoors though, just plan ahead and make sure you check the pollen count and always shower before you crawl onto the couch or in bed.
What An Immunologist Wants You To Know About Spring Allergies
If youve spent the last few weeks sneezing, rubbing your eyes and going through boxes of tissues at your desk, youre not alone.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, more than 50 million Americans experience various types of allergies each year, and those that are prevalent during the spring make up a significant chunk of that. Seasonal allergic rhinitis an allergic reaction to pollen from trees, grasses and weeds affects 6.1 million children and 20 million adults nationwide.
And if your symptoms seem worse than previous years, its not all in your head.
It is a bad pollen season, and part of the reason is progressively, year to year the pollen season has been getting worse due to climate change, says Dr. Purvi Parikh, an adult and pediatric allergist and immunologist with Allergy and Asthma Associates of Murray Hill in New York City, and spokesperson for the Allergy & Asthma Network. We are having rising carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere and plants feed off of that, so were producing these super-high pollen plants the pollen is more potent and its in the air for much longer. The season is much longer, too.
Fifty million Americans experience various types of allergies each year.
If you are suffering from spring allergies, when can you expect some relief?
Also Check: Loratadine Vs Pseudoephedrine
Is It An Allergy Or Covid
When COVID-19 and seasonal allergies are circulating at the same time, every sniffle can lead you to worry that you might have the virus. From the perspective of a parent, one of the biggest issues is when kids in school have allergy symptoms that are poorly controlled, and then the school system sends them home or says they need a physicians note, Dr. Leeds says.
The CDC has a Venn diagram that shows symptoms the two conditions have in common. These include congestion, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, runny nose, sore throat, and shortness of breath. But comparing the most common symptoms reveals clear differences. Seasonal allergies usually cause itchy or watery eyes and sneezing, while COVID-19 is characterized by fever and chills, muscle and body aches, new loss of taste and smell, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea.
Because of COVID-19, people are afraid of you when youre sniffling, says Dr. Hsu. But it goes both waysa lot of people are sniffling and sneezing and coughing, and they are not getting tested for COVID-19, because they assume its allergies. And they are probably correct.
Often the distinction is clearpeople with allergies itch more, and they dont have the fatigue, malaise, and fever that comes with COVID-19. But anyone who is concerned should call their doctor, she says.
Allergic Rhinitis Is A Common And Debilitating Disease
- Allergic rhinitis affects around 18% of people in Australia and New Zealand.
- Allergic rhinitis predisposes people to more frequent sinus infections.
- People with allergic rhinitis are often tired due to poor sleep quality.
- Moderate or severe allergic rhinitis can affect general health, impair learning, increase time off work, and reduce productivity.
- Around 80% of people with asthma have allergic rhinitis, which can make asthma difficult to control.
Also Check: Cheap Allergy Medicine
Your Body On Allergies
So what exactly is happening in your body when youre exposed to an allergen like pollen ?
Essentially what happens is your immune system decides that it wants to become hyper-sensitive, or allergic, to something. So your immune system recognizes pollen as foreign and it releases a big amount of a chemical called histamines into your blood stream. What the histamine does is triggers this whole immune, or inflammatory, cascade of itchy, watery eyes and stuffy or runny nose. Some people are unlucky and it can be even more severe where they can have breathing problems, asthma attacks, and even bad skin reactions, like flare-ups of eczema, hives or rashes from it as well, because we have histamines and allergy cells throughout our entire body.
So why are you dying a slow death at your desk, while your co-worker just has the sniffles?
The severity of the immune response, and triggered symptoms vary from person to person. Just like any medical illness its a spectrum, where some people have a very severe, strong reaction where more body systems are involved and some people have it milder, says Parikh. Even within the same body system: For one person the itching in their eyes may be very mild, but Ive seen patients come in where their eyes are swollen shut.
How Bad Can Spring Allergies Get
People can be very miserable. Their eyes can become itchy and swollen, their noses get congested, they sneeze a lot and if they have asthma, their lungs can become irritated.
Dr. Eidelman says if you have allergic rhinitis or nasal allergies, things can get really bad and may affect your quality of life quite significantly.
People might have trouble working or going to school. They may have trouble sleeping and they often feel tired. Even if they try to get enough sleep, its not normal sleep. So, work presenteeism can be quite common. This is when people show up to work or school but they cant function at 100% because theyre kind of out of it like they feel when they have a cold or the flu.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the United States. The annual cost from all of this is around $18 billion per year.
You May Like: Allergy Medicine Cetirizine
Are There Natural Remedies For Allergies
Nasal irrigation uses a combination of warm water, about a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and a quarter-teaspoon of baking soda to clear out mucus and open sinus passages. You can use a squeeze bottle or a neti pot, which looks like a small teapot. Use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water to make up the solution. Itâs also important to rinse the irrigation device after each use and leave it open to air dry.
Some others have mixed research on how much they help:
Butterbur. This herb, which comes from a European shrub, shows potential for relieving seasonal allergy symptoms. Some studies show butterbur — specifically an extract called Ze 339 — to work as well at easing allergy symptoms as some antihistamines.
Quercetin. This nutrient is found in onions, apples, and black tea. Itâs been shown in research to block the release of histamines.
Stinging nettle. Although some people use freeze-dried stinging nettle leaves to treat allergy symptoms, there isnât much research to show that it works.
Talk to your doctor before you start any herbal product. Some can cause side effects or can react with medications you take.
Spring Allergies: 5 Reasons Why You Should Be Taking Them More Seriously
Hay fever, allergies, allergic rhinitis theyre all names for that pesky sneezing, itchy, runny nose that impacts at least 20 million adults each year. Some allergy sufferers only encounter symptoms during the spring or fall the not-so-lucky ones can experience them year round. But while allergies may be all-too familiar to many Americans, they can also be much more than just a nuisance.
I think that allergies can be trivialized, especially by the people that dont have allergies, Dr. Clifford Bassett, clinical assistant professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and founder and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of NY, tells Yahoo Life.
This can lead allergy sufferers to downplay their own symptoms. Dr. Miriam Anand, an advisor to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, tells Yahoo Life that allergy patients often try to just push through, even when theyre feeling miserable.
If others in the family have allergies that are worse than theirs, they may feel like their symptoms arent as bad as their relatives, or they feel like their symptoms are normal because everyone in the family has them, says Anand. They may also get used to a certain baseline, and get used to their symptoms unless they get really bad.
But it turns out this blasé approach to allergies can be harmful to your health, work life and even sex life. And with spring allergy season quickly approaching, here are five reasons you may want to take them more seriously.
Read More:
Recommended Reading: What Allergy Medicine Is Stronger Than Zyrtec
