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Why Do We Get Allergies In The Fall

Fall Allergies In Atlanta

Why Do We Get Allergies?

Ragweed is the villain of the Autumn months. Three out of four people who are allergic to pollen are also allergic to ragweed. Its abundant in the South, North and Midwest, and especially in the Atlanta area. At one time, Atlanta had the distinction of being one of the top ten worst places to live with allergies. Fortunately, we no longer can brag about that honor, but allergy seasons here can be pretty brutal.

Ragweed pollens peaks between August and October, until the frost begins to appear. The more windy and wet autumn is in your area, the more the pollen spreads

Falls rain and wind can also ramp up mold. The fungi grow and produce spores that, like pollen, are spread by the wind or indoor air. It tends to grow year-round but in the fall, they grow on damp fallen leaves. They thrive in damp areas indoors like basements, bathrooms and kitchens. Unlike pollen, mold isnt killed by the first frost.

How Is It Possible Your Seasonal Allergies Cause Hearing Loss

by Hearing Aid HealthCare | Jan 18, 2018 | Hearing Loss Articles

Each new year and every new season brings with it the stuffy nose and itchy eyes that means allergies, but does that also mean youll have hearing loss? It might surprise you to know there is a connection for many people. You dont necessarily associate hearing with the immune system, after all. It is not that simple. Your hearing is a complex sense, one that can be affected by an allergic reaction. So, what should you do if your allergies affect your hearing?

The Most Common Fall Allergies

Its such a pretty season, but you cant seem to stop sneezing. So what is it that youre actually allergic to?

Fall allergens are generally weeds, Dr. Aronica says. He breaks down some of the most common allergens during this time of year.

Ragweed

The most common fall allergen is ragweed, a member of the daisy family that starts to bloom in North America in late August and lives through autumn.

Ragweeds flowers produce significant amounts of pollen, which makes it an especially potent allergen. A single ragweed plant can release up to a billion grains of pollen!

Other seasonal weeds

Ragweed may be the primary culprit of fall allergies, but it certainly isnt the only one. Other weeds associated with allergic rhinitis include:

  • Cocklebur.
  • Tumbleweed.

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Remove Allergens From Your Home

As many are spending more time indoors, its important to think about your home air quality. Indoor allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, mold, cockroach, and mice droppings can trigger symptoms in millions of allergy sufferers. There are solutions to keeping most of these allergens at bay, such as cleaning your house regularly, using mite-proof cases on your mattress and pillow, keeping pets out of the bedroom, and using a filter with a MERV rating of 11 or 12 in your HVAC system.

When To See A Doctor

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If youre doing everything you can but still cant kick the sniffles and sneezes, it may be time to see an allergy specialist for extra help.

We can do a skin test to identify a patients specific allergens and to determine if there are additional pollens or if they have a perennial allergy, Dr. Aronica says. If you might be interested in allergy shots, that is only something an allergist can provide.

Allergy shots also called allergen immunotherapy or subcutaneous immunotherapy are a way to slowly decrease your sensitivity to certain allergens, which can greatly reduce your symptoms. But theyre typically a long-term therapy used only after youve tried everything else.

And as Dr. Aronica points out, not all runny noses are due to allergies. A skin test will also show whether you are indeed experiencing allergies. If not, youll know to seek continued medical input to figure out whats causing your symptoms.

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Move Over Mold & Mildew

These fungi thrive both outdoors and indoors. They grow from and produce spores that, like pollen, are spread by the wind or indoor air. Mold and mildew tend to grow year-round. In the fall, they grow on damp fallen leaves and compost piles. They thrive in damp areas indoors like basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.

Unlike pollen, mold and mildew arent killed by the first frost, but they do tend to go into a dormant phase during the winter months.

How Do You Treat Allergies

Most allergy treatment involves prescription or over-the-counter antihistamines, which treat allergy symptoms. As mentioned, Epinephrine is also used to treat severe allergic reactions.

Other allergy treatments include various forms of immunotherapy, most commonly allergy shots and allergy drops. Both allergy shots and allergy drops expose the immune system to small amounts of one or more allergens at predetermined intervals. Allergen doses start small, then gradually increase. The goal of the treatment is to retrain the immune system to recognize the allergen as not dangerous, decreasing the frequency or severity of allergy symptoms.

Allergy shots and allergy drops are the only current treatment methods that reduce sensitivity to an allergen itself, instead of just treating the allergy symptoms. If youre interested in either option, speak to an experienced allergist.

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Tips For Fall Allergy Relief

Do fall allergies have you hiding out in your home? Get back to enjoying the great outdoors with these allergy management tips.

When you think of seasonal allergies, you may think spring. But for some people living with allergies, symptoms like a runny nose or itchy, watery eyes can be just as troublesome in the fall. Along with cooler weather and changing foliage, weeds and other plants release pollen into the air and outdoor molds grow under fallen leaves, both of which can trigger fall allergies. Ragweed, which produces pollen from August to November, triggers allergies in as many as 23 million Americans, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Across the United States, the number one fall allergy trigger is ragweed, mainly because the plant dominates the southeast part of the country, says Inderpal Randhawa, MD, a board-certified lung, immunology, an allergy specialist with the Lung & Allergy Institute of Los Angeles. Weeds and outdoor molds become airborne and can wreak havoc with allergies.

When Does A Person Develop Allergies

Why Do We Have Allergies?

Allergies can develop at any point in a persons life. One factor that increases your chance is your family history. If one parent is allergic there is a 30-50% chance of their offspring developing allergies. This jumps to 60-80% if both parents are allergic.

In many cases, allergies first present early in life, during infancy or the toddler years. Most of these allergies will be lifelong concerns, although some can resolve on their own.

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Seidenberg Protzko Eye Associates

Many people assume that their allergies are going to be worst in the spring when new flowers are blooming, but fall can also be a trigger for allergies. The biggest reason for this is ragweed. Ragweed releases its pollen well into September and October, and the majority of the people who suffer from spring allergies will also be allergic to ragweed.

Ragweed pollen is particularly difficult for allergy sufferers because it can travel on the wind, causing problems even when ragweed isnt native to your area. Additional fall allergy triggers include mold, which can hide in piles of wet leaves, and dust mites, which get stirred up when you switch on your heat in the fall.

For some, allergy symptoms affect the eyes. Red, swollen and itchy eyes are often contributed to fall allergies. The allergic reaction that happens in the rest of the body causes the blood vessels in the eyes to swell, which creates the redness, tearing and itchiness. Some people will also experience sensitivity to light.

If you suffer from fall eye allergies, you need to have your eyes evaluated to ensure your symptoms arent due to an infection. If allergies are the culprit, allergy medications can help, but only a doctor can rule out infection. I95 Content Marketing

Mold Becomes A Bigger Issue

Nothing looks more quintessentially autumn than leaves falling into big piles. But once foliage starts to decay, it becomes a breeding ground for mold. Breathing in spores can aggravate asthma and cause heavy breathing, wheezing, and other upper respiratory symptoms in those with mold allergies.

Damp basements are another common source of mold. Dr. Leija suggests placing a dehumidifier downstairswhether the rooms are finished or notand cleaning any filters for your furnace, which could be pushing airborne mold spores into your upper floors.

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Light Ent Of Boynton Beach Is Here To Help Reduce Your Misery

Isnt it always the way? You struggle to get through one allergy season, and another is just around the corner. Even fall in South Florida, while the temperatures rarely dip into the jacket-wearing category, still equates to fewer lawns mowed, more pumpkin spice latte, and yes, fall allergies.

The most a subtle change in seasons can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms. Much like spring, fall is a time when folks are desperately seeking relief from their seasonal allergies, with symptoms that include:

  • Red and watery eyes with swelling
  • Itchy nose, eyes, ears, mouth, and throat
  • Stuffy/runny nose with nasal congestion and mucus
  • Sneezing and headaches
  • Rashes and hives on the skin

The team at Light E.N.T. wants you to spend the rest of autumn and into winter conquering your fall allergies, not being a victim to them. That is why we are offering the following tips on how to prevent and treat these seasonal allergies and let you focus on closing out the year!

Why do allergies get worse in the fall anyway?

One reason is weed pollen. In addition to ragweed and sagebrush, weed pollen is the primary cause of allergic rhinitis , and affects 10-20% of Americans.

Ragweed is not the only type of plant that causes fall allergy symptoms. Other types of weed that cause symptoms to flare include:

  • Tumbleweed
  • and Mugwart

How do people treat or protect themselves against weed pollen allergies?

Mold: The other chief fall allergen culprit

How to deal with a mold allergy

Any additional tips?

Know Where To Go For Allergy Care: Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center

What Are the Symptoms of Fall Allergies?

Allergies can begin in childhood, adulthood and anytime in between. If youre dealing with a new or persistent case of allergies, we encourage you to reach out to us at Carolina Asthma & Allergy. We serve patients throughout North and South Carolina and work with traditional allergy treatment methods as well as allergy shots and allergy drops.

Our board-certified doctors are experts in food allergies, asthma, insect bite allergies and other uncommon, yet often serious allergies that require specialized care. We even offer anaphylaxis prevention and treatment, immunotherapy care and treatments for the lungs, skin, throat, nose, ears, and eyes. To set up your appointment today, contact us today!

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At What Point Should Parents Take Their Child Into An Allergist

The first thing you want to do is control your child’s symptoms by avoiding suspected allergens and irritants. Parents should keep windows closed, run central air or heat, take time to wash your child’s hands and face when they come inside, and use high-efficiency particulate air filters in bedrooms. It’s also wise to invest in dust mite covers, while making sure to wash sheets in hot water and taking care to keep pets out of certain rooms. Make sure your pediatrician is aware of the issue. They may prescribe medications such as oral antihistamines and nasal steroids. If medications and avoidance have not controlled your child’s symptoms, they should be evaluated by an allergist.

How Common Are Fall Allergies

An estimated 15% to 30% of the U.S. population is thought to have allergic rhinitis. Youre more likely to have fall allergies if you have:

  • Eczema.
  • Other seasonal or perennial allergies.

All people are different, but often people with allergies are sensitive to multiple allergens spring, fall and perennial, Dr. Aronica says. Sometimes, though, we do see patients with only a few sensitivities or with symptoms only in one of the seasons.

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Six Ways To Fight Fall Allergies Naturally

There are several ways you can effectively prepare for and treat fall allergies without using over-the-counter or prescription medications. Here are six of the best:

  • Keep your air as clean as possible by using portable air purifiers and turning on your HVAC system if you have one. Just make sure that your filters and ducts are properly installed and maintained.
  • Avoid mold whenever you can. Have someone else rake your leaves if possible, and make sure to throw away jack-o-lanterns before they start to rot.
  • Remove allergens from your clothes and bedding by washing it regularly, especially after spending time outside .
  • Wear an N95 respirator or mask, which will filter out airborne particles, if you have to mow the lawn, rake leaves, or do other outdoor chores. You can buy N95 respirators in most home improvement, hardware stores, or local discount stores. Look for the term N95 printed on the packaging.
  • Use a saline spray, which can relieve some of your allergy symptoms by helping to clean out mucus from the nasal passages.
  • Use a nasal rinse, which can provide a deeper clean by washing away allergens and mucus .
  • What Are Fall Season Allergies

    Why Do We Get Allergies? | The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Learning Videos For Kids | Peekaboo Kidz

    Fall season allergies in dogs can wreak havoc on their systems. These allergies often occur seasonally after the summer months when various plants begin to release allergens into the air. Dogs that suffer from allergies in the fall usually have reactions to plants such as sagebrush, pigweed, goldenrod, lamb& rsquo s quarters, curly dock, and other offending plants and pollen that they release.

    Ragweed and mold are also popular triggers of fall season allergies in dogs. Environmental allergies and food allergies are more so year round, but allergies that are exclusive only to the fall season are usually due to the same factors, which are mostly pollen, mold, and perhaps even dust mites. These inhalant allergies are not only breathed in by the dog, but also settle within the fur and skin of the dog, causing skin reactions. However, if you reside in an area that does not freeze in the winter, the allergies build up and can cause year-long suffering.

    Fall season allergies in dogs occur when dogs react to specific allergens, usually environmental, that are exclusive to the fall season. Fall season allergies only occur for a few months out of the year.

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    What Are The Most Common Mistakes Parents Make When It Comes To Preventing Allergies

    Addressing allergies earlier can significantly improve your child’s quality of life. But too often parents and physicians assume their child is too young to be tested. That’s simply not true. While outdoor allergies usually manifest after a child is three- or four-years-old, indoor triggers can develop in the first couple years of life. Allergists can accurately test for triggers at an early age. Meanwhile, many children can start receiving allergy shots when they’re young to control allergy symptoms. Immunotherapy can alter an immune system’s reaction to allergens without effects of steroids or antihistamines. We can start this at any age, but we’ve found that the older the kids get, the longer they have suffered from allergies, which in turn means they need more medication to manage their illness.

    Allergy Drops Can Help Build The Bodys Tolerance

    When all your avoidance efforts and the over-the-counter medications dont do the trick, then its time to call your allergist. A board-certified allergist can prescribe more intensive remedies to bring your current symptoms under control and develop a preventative plan using allergen immunotherapy that can help you avoid the misery of seasonal allergies in the future. Rather than reducing symptoms after they have started, allergen immunotherapy helps your body develop resistance to the pollen particles so that your symptoms are significantly reduced and much less severe. Oral allergy drops now offer a convenient, safe and effective option for patients who dont want to be bothered with weekly allergy injections in the doctors office. An individualized extract prescription is prepared for each patient based on the results of allergy testing. Patients then take a daily dose of their drops and advance through build up dilutions to reach their maintenance dose in just one month. That makes now a great time to consider allergy drops as a way to fend off your fall allergies.

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    When To Seek Urgent Care For Allergies

    Many people wonder when they should seek urgent care for allergies. An urgent care center can help identify the cause and deal with the symptoms of allergies that are non-severe and non-life-threatening. If your allergy symptoms worsen or become too much to tolerate, you should consider going to an urgent care center like GoHealth Urgent Care, where a provider can recommend over-the-counter or prescription medication thats right for you.

    You may be asked to get an allergy test to determine which specific allergen is causing you trouble and can offer immunotherapy treatments if necessary.

    What Are The Most Common Fall Allergies

    Why Do I Always Get Sick After Traveling?

    The fall allergy season usually starts towards the middle of August and lasts well until October or November, when freezing temperatures kill off the last remaining pollinating plants. However, exactly when this happens varies depending on where you live in the United States.

    Someone living in southern Florida will have a much longer struggle than, say, someone living in Maine.

    Until temperatures drop, you still have to cope with your fall allergy symptoms.

    Heres how to identify whether youre suffering from allergies, and if you are, how to get a bit of relief from allergies.

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