Astepro

About Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal allergies usually occur in the spring, summer, or fall. During these seasons, trees and grass pollinate, which can cause some people to sniffle, sneeze, and itch.

Common triggers for seasonal allergy symptoms in the spring and fall are:

• Grass. Certain types of grasses, such as Timothy, Johnson, and Bermuda, plus Kentucky bluegrass, produce highly allergenic pollen.
• Trees. Allergy sufferers should try to avoid certain types of trees during springtime, including oak, elm, birch, ash, hickory, poplar, sycamore, maple, cypress, western red cedar, and walnut.
• Flowers. Small flowers with little color tend to cause more pollen allergy symptoms than large, brightly colored flowers with heavy, waxy pollen.
• Mold Spores. Usually found in moist, shady areas, outdoor mold spores are so tiny, they may evade the protective mechanisms of the nose and may cause allergy symptoms such as runny nose, congestion, and sneezing.

Back to top

Allergy Symptoms

Most people with seasonal allergies have these kinds of nasal allergy symptoms:

• Sneezing
• Itchy nose
• Runny nose
• Stuffy or plugged-up nose (congestion)

The symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis may resemble a cold, but occur only at specific times during the year. A common bothersome seasonal allergy symptom is nasal congestion – that uncomfortable stuffed-up feeling that makes it difficult to breathe through your nose and makes you sound especially nasal when you speak.

If you suffer from seasonal nasal allergies, you know how much these annoying seasonal allergy symptoms such as congestion, sneezing, itchy nose, and runny nose can impact your life.

Back to top

Living with Allergies

It's not possible to completely avoid things to which you are allergic. But you can help your symptoms by taking some steps to limit your exposure to them. It’s useful to know exactly what you're allergic to, so you can take steps to avoid your specific seasonal allergy triggers.

If you are living with seasonal allergies, it’s a good idea to see your doctor if:*

• Your seasonal allergy symptoms are ongoing and bothersome
• Your allergy medicine isn’t providing the relief you are looking for
• Your allergy medicine is working, but it causes side effects that are a problem
• You have another condition that affects your nasal symptoms such as nasal polyps, asthma or frequent sinus infections

Many people get used to bothersome nasal allergy symptoms. But you may not have to suffer. Finding the right treatment can help people with seasonal allergies. Treating your allergy symptoms can help you feel better by helping to control your seasonal allergies symptoms.

Back to top

Seasonal Allergy Treatments

Seasonal allergy treatments come in several forms—for example pills, liquids, nasal sprays, eye drops. No known medicine can “cure” allergies. So the goal of allergy treatment is to help relieve symptoms.

What seasonal allergy medication works best for you can often depend on your symptoms and the severity of those symptoms. Your doctor can help you decide what seasonal allergy treatment is right for you.

Back to top

Different Types of Seasonal Allergy Treatments

Allergy treatments come in different forms and work in a variety of ways. Here are some examples.

• Antihistamines are one of the most commonly used types of allergy medications. They block histamine, a chemical that is released by the body’s immune system. Antihistamines are available in several forms; for example, pills you swallow or as nasal sprays. Some antihistamines may cause drowsiness.
• Decongestants relieve congestion in the nose and sinuses. They work by constricting blood vessels in the nose. However, decongestants may sometimes lead to an increase in blood pressure. For this reason, and others, decongestants should be used with caution in people with certain common medical conditions, including high blood pressure.
• Nasal steroid sprays are used to prevent and treat the inflammation often caused by allergies. They can take up to a week to work. They also have been linked to worsening glaucoma and cataracts.
• Leukotriene blockers treat symptoms by blocking the effects of a chemical that is included in the allergic reaction.
• Immunotherapy, commonly called “allergy shots,” may help in cases of persistent seasonal allergic rhinitis. Allergy shots are given regularly over a period of years and contain allergen extracts. The goal is to reduce your sensitivity to specific allergens so that you are less likely to react or to react as strongly to them.

Back to top

Ten Tips to Help Seasonal Allergies

1. These ten tips can help you reduce symptoms from seasonal nasal allergies*:
2. Avoid outdoor activity between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. when pollen counts are the highest.
3. Schedule outdoor activities for the afternoon or after heavy rains, when pollen levels are lower.
4. Avoid grasses like Timothy, Johnson, Bermuda, Orchard, Sweet Vernal and Kentucky Bluegrass, which are known to produce allergenic pollen.
5. Avoid smaller flowers with little color, as they tend to cause more allergy symptoms. Brightly colored flowers that attract bees and other insects or hummingbirds are generally not allergenic.
6. Dry your freshly washed clothing in a household dryer- hanging clothes outside can allow pollen to collect on them.
7. Wash your hair after you have been outdoors if the pollen count is high that day.
8. Wash pillowcases regularly with hot water to remove pollen.
9. Keep doors and windows shut during the allergy season to help keep allergens out.
10. Maintain the air filters in your home and clean them often, especially during allergy season. Carefully clean bookshelves, vents, windowsills and other areas where pollen can settle.

Back to top

*Adapted from an excerpt from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences – NIH. Available at: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/conditions/asthma/pollen.cfm. Accessed February 10, 2009.