Allergy Season: What You Need to Know

ATLANTA — Allergy season can be tough for millions of Americans, with trees, grass, and other pollen causing discomfort like runny noses, itchy eyes, and sneezing.

Factors such as location, specific allergies, and lifestyle choices play a significant role in how severe allergies can be. Experts suggest that climate change is extending and intensifying allergy seasons, even as advancements in treatments are proving more effective over the past decade.

Here are some expert tips to help manage allergy symptoms — perhaps enough for you to enjoy some time outdoors.

New Cities on the Allergy Capitals List

Every year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America compiles a list of the toughest cities for allergy sufferers, based on over-the-counter medicine use, pollen levels, and the availability of allergy specialists.

This year’s top five cities are Boise, Idaho; San Diego; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Provo, Utah; and Rochester, New York. Interesting, right?

Pollen: Essential for Plants, Problematic for Us

Pollen, which is the fine powder produced by seed-bearing plants and trees, plays a crucial role in their reproduction. Tree pollen is usually the primary allergen early in spring, transitioning to grasses and then weeds in late summer and early fall.

Birch, cedar, cottonwood, maple, elm, oak, and walnut are among the most common tree pollens causing allergies, while Bermuda, Johnson, rye, and Kentucky bluegrass often contribute to allergic responses.

How to Keep Track of Pollen Levels

Pollen trackers can help you gauge when it’s safe to venture outside. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology provides pollen level data through a network of counting stations across the country. You can find these counts on their website or via email.

Avoiding Pollen: The First Step

The most effective approach to managing allergies is to limit exposure. Keep car and home windows shut, even on pleasant days.

If you decide to go outdoors, wearing long sleeves can help keep pollen off your skin, thereby reducing allergic reactions, according to Dr. James Baker, an allergist at the University of Michigan. Plus, it offers some sun protection.

After returning home, changing clothes and showering daily will help remove pollen, including from your hair. If washing your hair daily isn’t feasible, consider covering it with a hat or scarf while outside. And avoid bringing outdoor clothes into bed, as that pollen will trail behind.

It’s also helpful to rinse your eyes and nose with saline to clear away pollen. Interestingly, the masks we used during the pandemic can also provide some protection against allergies, although they won’t alleviate eye symptoms.

Managing Allergy Symptoms

Over-the-counter nasal sprays are seen as among the most effective methods to combat seasonal allergies, though some users apply them incorrectly, which can irritate the nasal passages. Dr. Kathleen May, an allergist at Augusta University in Georgia, recommends aiming the nozzle outward toward your ear rather than pointing it straight up.

Allergy pills like Claritin, Allegra, and Zyrtec can be beneficial too. However, they may take longer to work since they’re consumed orally.

If allergy symptoms are affecting your quality of life — maybe you’re losing sleep or struggling to concentrate at work or school — it could be worth consulting an allergist. There are medications available that can help your immune system respond better to allergens.

Some popular remedies circulating on social media, such as using local honey to build immunity to pollen, have been called into question. According to Dr. Shyam Joshi, an allergist at Oregon Health and Science University, this is because the flowers that bees pollinate typically do not produce the airborne pollen that triggers allergies.

Are Allergy Seasons Changing?

With milder winters and extended growing seasons due to climate change, pollen has more opportunities to linger in the air, resulting in longer and more severe allergy seasons.

Interestingly, last year marked one of the most intense allergy seasons recorded, especially in the Southeastern United States.