Summertime is a season of grilling, hanging out by the pool and hiking out in nature. It’s a time to celebrate being outdoors, but for allergy sufferers, summer is a season of miserable sneezing, runny noses and itchy eyes.
Seasonal allergies, also referred to as hay fever and allergic rhinitis, are much more common than people may realize. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 4 American adults and nearly 1 in 5 children have a seasonal allergy.
[See: How to Survive Ragweed Allergy Season.]
What Causes Seasonal Allergies?
The condition occurs when an allergen — such as pollen from trees, grass and weeds or mold spores — enters the body. In response, the immune system overreacts and produces antibodies, called immunoglobulin E (IgE), that signal to cells to release histamines, a chemical that fights off the invaders, but also is notorious for causing allergy symptoms.
Allergy symptoms
Common allergy symptoms include:
— Sneezing.
— Runny nose.
— Itchy eyes, nose and mouth.
— Scratchy throat.
— Sinus congestion.
Allergies can also cause coughing, shortness of breath and wheezing in people with asthma.
“These symptoms are actually very bothersome and can affect not only your nose and your lungs, but they can affect your daily life and quality of living,” says Dr. Anju Peters, an allergy and immunology specialist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. “It can definitely affect your overall school performance, work performance and mental well-being in general.”
Although summer allergies triggered by grass pollen generally start in June and go through September, seasonal allergies can occur year-round, depending on where you live and what plant you’re allergic to. Cedar trees, for example, release plumes of pollen during the winter months in the South, giving rise to “cedar fever.” In the Midwest, birch, oak, pine and elm trees start pollinating in the early spring before leading up to a typically heavy grass pollen season in the summer and ragweed in the fall.
“There are hundreds of different weeds, trees and grasses that all produce pollen,” explains Dr. David Corry, professor of medicine in the section of immunology, allergy and rheumatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Therefore, the timing and location of the allergy season, he explains, “is an issue of botany.”
It’s based on where those plants grow and when they flower — and release pollen.
[READ: Nasal Allergies: More Than a Nuisance.]
Most Common Pollen-Based Allergens
The most common pollen offenders include:
— Alder.
— Ash.
— Birch.
— Cedar.
— Elm.
— Grass.
— Maple.
— Mugwort.
— Mulberry.
— Oak.
— Pine.
— Ragweed.
— Sagebrush.
Mold Allergies
In addition to pollen, mold is a major cause of allergies.
“A lot of people are allergic to molds, which are in the air every day continuously,” Corry says. “Even though the actual species of those molds don’t change all that much, the actual amount varies dramatically.”
Temperature, rain and air humidity are three major factors that can cause mold spores to bloom and permeate.
“In the desert parts of the United States, like Tucson, Arizona, during the very dry, hot parts of the year, there’s not much mold at all in the air,” Corry explains. “But you get these absolute explosions of mold into the air after these big thunderstorms that can blast through the area.”
[READ: Is It Safe to Take Allergy Medicine While Pregnant?]
Climate Change and the Rise of Allergies
If your allergies seem to be worsening throughout the year, you’re not just imagining it. The allergy season for many different weeds, trees and grasses that people are typically allergic to are getting longer, particularly in North America.
“You may know that you have allergies, but your season seems to be getting longer and longer. For many people, that’s not just a false impression. It’s actually real,” Corry says. “The growing season for many pollen is getting longer and starting earlier, so the overall season is getting longer. That’s adding to the misery and general unhappiness with allergies.”
In fact, a 2020 study that measured pollen trends in North America found that climate change led to elevated temperatures and higher levels of carbon dioxide, which trees and grasses feed off of, resulting in longer pollen seasons and higher pollen concentrations from 1990 to 2018. The study’s findings showed that, on average, pollen season started approximately 20 days earlier and lasted eight days longer, with a 21% increase in the amount of pollen circulating in the air across North America.
Research suggests that this trend is only going to get worse. In a 2022 study published in Nature, scientists projected that climate-driven changes to atmospheric conditions will likely lead to longer seasons and more pollen, increasing annual pollen emission by 16% to 40%. With the increase in carbon dioxide driving pollen production, the study estimated pollen to increase up to 200% by the end of the century.
“We definitely think that climate change is altering the pattern of pollen exposure and the timing,” Peters says. “It’s a huge concern.”
Research points to urban pollution from fossil fuels, wildfires (such as the recent Canadian wildfire), Saharan dust storms and ozone pollution as other major factors increasing people’s sensitivity to allergens in the environment.
Treatments for Allergies
While a growing body of evidence predicts an uptick of seasonal allergies, there is a wide variety of medications available over the counter or by prescription that can help you manage your symptoms and keep hay fever at bay.
Medications
There are several over-the-counter medications that can safely and effectively treat symptoms for most people with mild or moderate allergies.
— Oral antihistamines: While diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and hydroxyzine are common antihistamines, they are considered older, first-generation allergy medications that tend to have a long list of side effects, such as sedation, drowsiness, fatigue and impaired alertness. Instead, experts recommend second-generation antihistamines — including cetirizine (Zyrtec), loratadine (Claritin) and fexofenadine (Allegra) — to treat seasonal allergies because they are longer lasting and more effective with minimal side effects.
— Nasal corticosteroid sprays: Fluticasone propionate (Flonase Allergy Relief), nasal triamcinolone (Nasacort AQ) and budesonide (Rhinocort AQUA) are safe and effective intranasal treatments for seasonal allergies. Unlike nasal decongestant sprays, such as Afrin, nasal steroid sprays are not habit-forming and can be used regularly. Saline nasal sprays and gels can also be effective for flushing out pollen from your nose and sinuses.
— Antihistamine eye drops: Allergy eye drops deliver antihistamines to your eyes to help relieve redness, itchiness and wateriness.
For children who suffer from seasonal allergies, there are over-the-counter antihistamines tailored uniquely for children.
Those who have moderate to severe or very severe disease in which over-the-counter remedies may not be effective should meet with an allergist or another health care professional who is equipped to conduct allergy tests in order to identify exactly what you’re allergic to. Based on those results, experts may recommend allergen immunotherapy, more commonly referred to as allergy shots.
Allergy shots are essentially a “very slow, long-term form of vaccination,” Corry explains. This treatment consists of injecting a very low dose of the allergen under the skin, then gradually building up the dosage over a period of days, weeks or months to train your immune system. Allergen immunotherapy can also be administered in tablet form, known as sublingual immunotherapy. The tablets, which are placed under the tongue and swallowed, are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for ragweed, grass pollen and dust mites.
“The goal and the intent of immunotherapy is to change how your immune system responds to whatever you’re allergic to,” Corry says. “The immune system essentially removes these irritants from your system, degrades them and expels them from your body without you experiencing any symptoms.
Lifestyle modifications
In addition to medications, there are lifestyle strategies you can use to minimize the unpleasant effects of seasonal allergies.
— Monitor pollen counts. No one wants to be stuck indoors to avoid pollen. Instead, monitor your local pollen and mold levels and allergen forecast through weather apps or the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s National Allergy Bureau website. Plan to spend time outdoors when allergen counts are low.
— Wear a mask. The masks we used to protect against the spread of COVID-19 are also effective for preventing pollen from getting into your airways. If you know you’ll be outside during peak pollen time or gardening, wearing an N95 mask will keep the allergens at bay.
— Don’t wear shoes in the house. Taking your shoes off before entering the house is a common Asian practice. While the tradition is believed to protect against bringing bad luck into the house, it is also an effective way to maintain good hygiene and clean floors, as your shoes can track outdoor dirt, bacteria and pollen into the house.
— Change your clothes. Similar to removing your shoes, changing your clothes when you get home will reduce the amount of pollen that you introduce into the house.
— Wash your bedsheets regularly. Hypoallergenic bed sheets and pillow cases can help with dust mite and mold allergies, but when it comes to reducing pollen, your best bet will be to wash your bedding often. This is especially important if you have pets that like to sleep in bed with you. Because pollen, along with dirt and other allergens, can stick to their coat, your furry friend is likely bringing in particles that may aggravate allergies.
— Use air filters. Portable air purifiers with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can help remove 99.97% of pollen, dust, dander and other allergens circulating in your bedroom. For your whole house, consider installing an air filter in your central heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology encourages using an air filter with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating of 11 to 13.
[READ: When to See an Allergist.]
Long-Term Effects of Seasonal Allergies
In addition to physical discomfort, seasonal allergies can be disruptive to your daily life and health if left untreated. The congestion and sneezing can disturb your sleep, which — in turn — sets off a chain reaction of detrimental health effects. Sleep deficiency is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity and depression. In older adults, sleep deficiency can affect balance and lead to a greater potential for falls.
“Taking care of allergies is very much an important issue to gain that quality of life that we all need and deserve,” Corry says. “Getting good quality sleep is actually a matter of life and/or death, literally. You can get into a chronic deficit of sleep that can absolutely impair your quality of life and lead to serious health problems that can be fatal over years of sleep deprivation.”
One way to get a good night’s rest is to make sure your nose is clear so you can breathe comfortably through your nose and not be woken up with allergy symptoms throughout the night, Corry adds.
Ultimately, pollen is a fact of life. You can only avoid it for so long, but thankfully, you can nip pesky allergy symptoms in the bud.
“You don’t have to suffer,” Peters says. “We have good treatment options, so you can try over-the-counter medications or go see an allergist … to tailor your treatment based on what you’re allergic to.”
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How to Treat Seasonal Allergies originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 06/30/23: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
