When Is Allergy Season? Know When You Need To Prepare

Do you suffer from allergies? You aren’t alone. This condition affects millions of people worldwide. Your allergies may be mild or severe, but they’ll always be worse if you aren’t properly prepared.

It is possible to take steps to reduce the misery you experience during allergy season. The information below will help you identify when you are most at risk. After that, you’ll find some tips on how you can prepare for allergies and control your symptoms more effectively.  

Table of Contents

Let’s start by looking at when the season may begin for you, depending on your allergy source.

Allergy season is traditionally associated with late winter and the earliest days of spring. However, this may not be when you experience your most severe symptoms. “Your” allergy season depends on where you live and what irritants affect you.

Below, you’ll find some examples of allergy seasons that begin at different times of the year and the irritants that make that time miserable for people with allergies.

Late Winter to Early Spring—Plant and Tree Pollen

Late winter to early spring is miserable for so many because tree pollen is one of the most common types of allergies. It is most likely to be present in the air in the spring.

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Pollen is a powdery substance that plants release as part of their reproductive cycle. The pollen is meant to be caught up in the wind and carried to other plants of the same species. 

Many trees release their pollen exclusively in the spring. During this time, the air can be so full of pollen that even people who are not allergic may experience irritation when traveling outdoors. 

All of the following trees produce pollen during early spring:

• Ash
• Birch
• Cedar
• Cottonwood
• Elm
• Hickory
• Juniper
• Oak
• Pecan
• Maple
• Sycamore
• Walnut
• Willow

If you live near any of these trees, you may need to take special care to avoid those areas in spring. However, if you make it through this season just fine, you should know that another pollination season follows right after it.

Late Spring to Late Summer—Grass Pollen

The grass pollen season typically starts in late spring and continues through late summer. The reproductive cycle of grass is activated by temperatures that exceed 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Pollen production will begin ramping up soon after that temperature is reached.

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For people with pollen allergies, this period is often the most miserable in the year. Grass pollen is highly likely to activate Allergic Rhinitis (also known as hay fever). Hay fever is a particularly strong reaction to pollen that may cause:

• Stuffy nose
• Sneezing
• Itchy or watery eyes
• Itchy ears
• Facial swelling

The grass pollen season is a tough one to get through, but another season follows it.

Late Summer and Fall—Ragweed

Ragweed is only one plant, but as many as 1 in 5 people have an allergic reaction to it. That’s a serious problem because a single ragweed plant can release as many as a billion pollen particles.

It can be difficult to avoid Ragweed – its home range includes the entire United States. Additionally, its pollen is lighter than the pollen released by other plants. That allows it to be carried much farther. Ragweed pollen has been known to travel more than 400 miles.

Ragweed begins to release pollen during the hottest parts of summer and continues until the arrival of Fall temperatures in October.  

Annually—Mold

If you notice that your allergy symptoms do not seem to be adhering to one of these seasons, it’s possible that the problem may be coming from inside your house. 

Mold causes allergic reactions and can grow at any time of year. Rather than pollen, it releases spores. The larger a patch of mold is, the more spores it can release over time.

Mold may be capable of growing in any home environment where it has access to constant moisture. It is likely to appear in basements and bathrooms. It can also grow around plumbing pipes in any part of the home. 

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Stock up on over-the-counter medications

A variety of over-the-counter medications are available to help you manage allergies. The following medicines can suppress allergic responses or treat the side effects of allergies, such as a runny nose.

• Xyzal Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride
• Fexofenadine Hydrochloride
• Cetirizine HCL
• Diphenhydramine HCl
• Loratadine

Find a pollen tracker and save it on your phone

Most weather apps and websites include pollen trackers that will tell you the density of pollen in the air. The Weather Channel includes an official pollen count as part of all of its weather reports. Simply enter your zip code to get the result for your area.

You can use pollen trackers to determine when you are at the most risk if you leave your home. Pollen counts tend to fluctuate throughout the day. You can often avoid the highest concentrations by staying indoors between 10 AM-3 PM.

Pollen-proof your home

The best way to avoid allergies is to stay indoors while concentrations are at their highest. To do that, you’ll need to make sure that your indoors are properly insulated from pollen.

Make sure that your windows and doors can seal properly. Repair the weatherproofing seals if they have started to fail.  

Change your air filter regularly throughout the year. Changing it every season can help you reduce pollen in your home and breathe better. 

Featured Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels