Coping With Pollen Allergies

Spring, summer and fall are marked by some of the year's best weather and some of the most sneeze-inducing pollens. For seasonal allergy sufferers, spring, summer and fall allergies can mean months of itchy eyes, stuffy noses, scratchy throats and achy sinuses.

If you're suffering from pollen allergy symptoms, know there are steps you can take to cope - and that you're not alone. Both Indianapolis and Chicago are in the top 80 cities for pollen allergy sufferers. About 1 out of 4 adults and 1 out of 5 children have seasonal allergies, and more than 50 million people in the United States experience allergies of some type, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Franciscan Physician Network doctors explain what triggers seasonal allergies to pollen 

What Causes Seasonal Allergies?

Seasonal allergies - also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis or hay fever - happen when spring pollens like oak pollen, summer pollens like grass pollen, or fall pollens like ragweed, trigger an allergic reaction in your body.

Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, occurs when your immune system identifies an allergen as an intruder and responds to it by releasing histamines. Those histamines cause the unpleasant symptoms associated with allergies, including sneezing, wheezing and watery eyes, nasal congestion or a runny nose.

"A lot of people have had allergies. It is debilitating and they don't know it because its always been debilitating, so you should not have to itch your eyes on a frequent basis, you should not be struggling to breath through your nostrils," said Michael Padilla, DO, a family physician at Franciscan Physician Network South 31 Family Care in Indianapolis.

While allergic rhinitis can be triggered by year-round sources such as mold, pet dander or dust mite droppings, pollen is the most common allergen for seasonal allergy sufferers. While some people develop seasonal allergies as children, it's possible for seasonal allergy symptoms to surface at any point in a person's life - even well into adulthood.

When Is Pollen Season?

Each plant has its own pollen season. Different parts of the country have different pollinating plants and, therefore, different pollen seasons.

Pollen season in most regions of the country often starts in the spring. But it may begin as early as January in the southern part of the U.S. The season usually lasts until November.

"Pollen typically starts affecting allergy sufferers in the spring and summer," said Dennis E. Rademaker, DO, a Franciscan Physician Network allergist in Munster, Indiana. "There are different types of pollen, and it can affect each person differently, depending on the type of tree or grass from which it came."

Plants that have powdery granules of pollen that are easily blown by the wind can trigger pollen allergies. These include:

• Trees: oak, western red cedar, elm, birch, ash, hickory, poplar, sycamore, maple, cypress, walnut, catalpa, olive and pecan
• Grasses: Timothy, Johnson, Bermuda, orchard, sweet vernal, red top and some blue grasses
• Weeds: ragweed, sagebrush, pigweed, tumbleweed, Russian thistle and cockle weed

Some pollens are known for triggering allergies that they have their own allergy season names. Examples include "ragweed season" for ragweed pollen and "cedar fever" for reactions to the pollen of a juniper tree known as the mountain cedar.

Why Does Allergy Season Seem to Be Getting Longer?

You're not wrong if you feel that pollen season seems longer than it once did.

Climate change is prompting longer pollen seasons and higher pollen counts, which spells trouble for people with seasonal allergies, allergists warn. In some areas with high levels of ragweed pollen, allergy season can last nearly year-round

Along with more severe and longer-lasting symptoms for allergy sufferers, longer pollen seasons have led to an increase in the number of people diagnosed with seasonal allergies for the first time.

At-Home Strategies For Managing Your Allergies

If you're suffering from seasonal allergies, take steps to reduce your exposure to pollen, including:

Reducing Pollen At Home

• Use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters at home. HEPA filters are available for use in furnaces, air conditioners and vacuum cleaners. Be sure to change high-efficiency filters regularly.
• Avoid bringing pollen into your home. Remove your shoes before going inside; wash your face and change clothes after working outdoors; keep doors and windows closed.
• Keep windows closed at night and use air conditioning during peak pollen times. This cleans, cools and dries the air.
• Dry items indoors. Don't hang bedding or clothing outside to dry pollen can settle on it..
• Wash bedding in hot, soapy water once a week to remove pollen particles.

Limiting Pollen Exposure Outdoors

• Check the pollen count before spending time outdoors. Pollen.com allows you to enter your Zip code and check the pollen count for your area - so you won't have to simply wonder, "What is the pollen count near me today?"
• Delegate garden and lawn work, or avoid it in the early morning. The pollen count is at its highest early in the day.
• Brush and bathe your pets regularly. Before your pets come back indoors, take a moment to brush off their fur, and bathe them on a weekly basis.
• Reduce your exposures. If you spend time outdoors, wash your hair and change your clothes when you come back inside. Wear sunglasses and a hat to keep pollen out of your eyes and hair. Shower before sleeping to keep pollen out of your bed. 
• Keep windows closed in the car.

Medical Management Of Allergies

If natural remedies for managing seasonal allergies aren't enough to keep your allergy symptoms at bay, you may need to talk about other treatment options with your primary care provider. These could include:

• Try over-the-counter (OTC) allergy medication for symptoms. Ask your doctor if antihistamines, which help with sneezing and itching in the nose and eyes, would be appropriate to try, or whether you should consider oral or nasal decongestants to help relieve stuffiness in your nose. 
• Use a nasal rinse to flush out inhaled pollen in your sinuses and nose. Get tips for neti pot safety.
• Visit your doctor for an allergy test. Blood tests or skin testing can help your doctor identify your specific allergen and pinpoint a successful treatment.
• Undergo immunotherapy (allergy shots).  Allergy shots are a long-term treatment that can last for three to five years. Immunotherapy can retrain your immune system to tolerate a specific allergen.

Don't Let Outdoor Allergies Keep You Indoors

If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies, know your pollen allergies should not sentence you to a life spent inside. It's possible to manage your symptoms so that you can enjoy outdoor activities, including outdoor sports.

If you are struggling with seasonal allergies, talk to your primary care provider today. With proper management, you can get your seasonal allergy symptoms under control.