You might notice an uptick in itching and sneezing when you step outside this first week of September.
“This is the time for ragweed pollen, which is a very potent and widespread allergy problem in our area,” said Susan Kosisky, chief of the U.S. Army Centralized Allergen Extract Lab in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Kosisky said ragweed is the predominant weed species in the area, accounting for two-thirds of the area’s total annual weed pollen production. And it can fly under the radar.
“Folks don’t notice it because it’s not flowery. Ragweed has very small, inconspicuous flowers.”
After a “peak week” in the first week in September, ragweed pollen tends to decline as the month goes on, but it’s not to say that folks won’t still be reacting, Kosisky said.
“A lot of times their systems are primed and ready, so that even lesser amounts of certain pollen types can also elicit symptoms,” said Kosisky.
Kosisky also said the D.C. region sees an uptick in grass and elm pollen this time of year.
“People think some of these pollens die down as we move into fall, but we’ve got this late summer surge,” she said.
