Preparing for Allergy Season
By Harvard Health Publications
MILWAUKEE (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology) -- This season brings out the grass and tree pollen that trigger sneezing, watery eyes and runny noses for the country's 35.9 millions seasonal allergy sufferers.
"Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, is triggered by allergens, substances that initiate an allergic response, such as pollens or molds," said Jay M. Portnoy, MD FAAAAI, past chair of the AAAAI's Aerobiology Committee. "Many trees, grasses and weeds have small, light and dry pollens that are easily carried by the wind, which is why allergy symptoms flare up in the spring."
For allergy sufferers, it is important to know which allergens trigger their symptoms, and when to watch for them:
Trees pollinate earliest, fro m late February through May in most of the country, although this may fluctuate in different locations. Trees that disperse allergens include oak, elm, birch, ash, hickory, poplar, sycamore, maple, cypress, walnut and western cedar.
Grasses follow next in the cycle, distributing their pollens May to July. Grasses to watch out for are timothy, Bermuda, orchard, red top and sweet vernal. In late summer and fall weeds such as ragweed, sagebrush, pigweed, Russian thistle and cocklebur become problematic for allergy sufferers.
Each of these plants has a period of pollination that does not vary greatly from year to year. However, weather conditions can affect the amount of pollen in the air at any given time. The pollinating season starts later in the spring the further north one goes. Generally, the pollen season lasts from February or March through October.
"Molds are also an allergic trigger," Portnoy said.
Mold spores tend to peak in late spring and again in late all when there is a lot of moisture in the atmosphere. They are affected by changing weather conditions, such as wind, rain or temperature. Allergy symptoms are often minimal on days that are rainy, cloudy or windless because pollen and mold spores do not move about in these conditions. Hot, dry and windy weather signals greater pollen and mold distribution and thus increases allergy symptoms. Pollen and spores also tend to increase just prior to thunderstorms.
Allergy sufferers should be aware of the amount of pollen and mold in the air before venturing out. Minimizing outdoor activity on days when the pollen count or humidity is reported to be high or on windy days when mold and pollen are blown about will help to reduce allergy symptoms. To find out the pollen count for your area, visit the National Allergy Bureau (NAB) Web site at http://www.aaaai.org/nab. The NAB is the nation's only pollen and mold counting network certified by the AAAAI. As a free service to the public, the NAB compiles pollen and mold counts from certified stations across the nation and reports them to the media three times each week.
