Seasonal Allergy Facts

Seasonal Allergy Facts

Allergy symptoms

• You can develop seasonal allergies at any age, even if you never had symptoms before.
• You can still have seasonal allergies if you do not have symptoms every day.
• Itching is a marker for allergies. If it is the spring and your nose is running and your throat, eyes, nose or skin itches, you probably have allergies rather than a cold.
• You can have hay fever throughout the year, not just during the blooming and growing seasons.
• Household chemicals such as laundry bleach and cleansers can aggravate your reaction to seasonal airborne allergens.
• Seasonal allergies typically develop after six years of age.

More Facts About Seasonal Allergy Causes and Treatments

• 90% of allergy sufferers are allergic to grass pollen.
• The best way to control allergy symptoms is to completely and consistently avoid the allergens at fault.
• Pollen levels are highest during the morning and evening.
• You can get HEPA air filters for your car to screen out the pollen, which can get in the car even with the windows up.
• The trees that produce the most pollen do not have showy flowers.
• Allergy specialists do not recommend relocating to avoid seasonal allergies. You are likely to develop a sensitivity to a different local allergen after extended exposure.

More about Seasonal Allergies

Did you know...

• Scientists have found ragweed pollen 400 miles out to sea.
• Mold allergens release spores during dry weather, not wet conditions.
• Air purifiers for allergies with HEPA filters can remove pollens safely, but ionic air purifiers emit ozone, which can trigger asthma attacks.
• A single ragweed plant can release over a million pollen spores a day.
• Decongestant nasal sprays can cause swelling in your nasal passages if you use the spray for more than a few days.
• Children raised from birth in a house with 2 or more pet dogs or cats are less likely to develop allergies, including seasonal allergies, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.