Are You Ready For Allergy Season?

Some people will be forced to stay inside just so they can breathe. Many experience non-stop symptoms of sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, congestion, and runny nose with a foggy head or headache when they simply walk outdoors. Others may be luckier and only experience some of the symptoms associated with springtime allergies.

The most common triggers of springtime allergies are pollens, grasses, and trees. Tree pollens especially affect the Northern Virginia area. The time and duration of springtime allergy symptoms is determined by the species of trees people are reacting to. Trees are the earliest pollen producers of the year, releasing their pollen as early as March and as late as June. Trees can aggravate allergy symptoms, even if they are not on your property, since trees release large amounts of pollen that can travel miles.

When springtime allergies are high, other common, year-round triggers such as mold, dust and dust mites, animal dander or cockroaches may be exacerbated for some individuals. This can happen because more burden is placed on an already stressed system during this time of the year.

Common springtime allergysymptoms include

Sneezing

Itchy, red or watery eyes

Runny nose

Congestion

Fatigue

Headaches

Skin reactions

If you suffer from any of the above symptoms, you are not alone. Pollen allergies affect nearly 19 million people in the US alone with one of the main symptom being allergic rhinitis, which affects between 10% and 30% of all adults and as many as 40% of children.

Spring allergy season hit us really hard last year, as the amount of pollen floating around was four times greater than normal. Pollen is measured in grains per cubic meter. For trees, 1,500 grains per cubic meter is considered high. Last spring, areas of the east coast measured 6,000 grains per cubic meter. There is no way to predict if pollen counts will be as high this year since daily and seasonal weather conditions impact the pollen counts and make it difficult to predict precisely more than a few days in advance.

If you have ever experienced spring- time allergy symptoms, you should prepare for allergy season and consider addressing your symptoms early.