Asthma sufferers with seasonal allergies–more commonly known as “hay fever”) often experience symptoms including sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose congestion and runny noses. To help alleviate symptoms doctors advise limiting outdoor time exposure; washing hands and faces upon returning home; showering/changing clothes frequently and closing windows to minimize symptoms.
Allergic tests aren’t usually necessary; symptoms and the surrounding circumstances play a vital role in diagnosing allergies.
Pollen
Allergies to pollen can result in itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, itchy mouth and throat and congestion. Pollen is released by flowering trees, grasses and weeds as part of their reproduction process, but when it lands on you your immune system mistakenly believes it to be harmful and produces chemicals to attack it; these attacks cause allergic symptoms in their own right.
Pollen levels vary with season and climate conditions, peaking during spring when trees begin to release their pollen, and summer when grasses do. Ragweed, an allergenic invasive species, usually reappears in late fall.
Climate change is prolonging the growing season for plants that produce allergy-inducing pollen, increasing production for longer periods and leading to an increase in seasonal allergy sufferers.
If you suspect that you may have a pollen allergy, medications such as over-the-counter antihistamines and nasal sprays may help manage symptoms. Speak to your health care provider about getting skin tests or blood tests performed to verify an allergy; additionally they may recommend treatments like allergy shots to help lessen reactions under medical supervision.
Molds
Molds are fungi found naturally throughout nature that break down organic material to provide soil for plants. Although this process is essential to nature’s ecosystem system, it can present difficulties for people suffering from allergies. Mold spores may float in the air and enter through nasal passageways causing symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and coughing – all symptoms that should not occur!
As with pollen, when the immune system recognizes mold spores as invaders, it releases an antibody known as histamine into the body to fight them off and trigger a chain reaction of symptoms including sneezing, itchy eyes and runny noses. If you believe your symptoms could be due to mold allergies, make an appointment with your physician so they can administer either a skin or blood test to determine whether or not you are indeed allergic.
Antihistamines and nasal corticosteroids may provide temporary relief of your symptoms from mold allergies, while prescription immunotherapy could desensitize your immune system and avoid future reactions. To get the best possible care, work with Greater Austin Allergy on designing an individualized plan that suits both your lifestyle and needs – their team will conduct an in-depth evaluation of your allergy symptoms to recommend the optimal path forward for your health.
Animals
If your pet is licking its paws, scratching its ears or itching more than usual, they could be suffering from seasonal allergies. Allergies can be painful for animals and lead to infections or skin conditions; if this sounds familiar to you, speak to a vet about ways they can help your pet feel better.
Allergies can affect both cats and dogs throughout the year, with year round allergy symptoms being more prevalent among older animals. Seasonality must also be taken into consideration as well as whether other conditions like parasites or food allergies exist to accurately diagnose seasonal allergies in animals.
Dogs and cats with seasonal allergies typically exhibit itchy patches on the paws, ear flaps or around their eyes and mouths. They may also suffer from recurring ear infections or itchy eyes as well as rhinitis (sneezing) and asthma symptoms.
To determine whether your pet has seasonal allergies, the veterinarian will conduct a hands-on exam and skin scrape, take blood samples or analyze some fur samples, identify allergens causing reactions in your pet through injection of small doses of an allergy-causing substance into their system and work to desensitize them over time so their allergy symptoms improve.
Dust
Dust mite allergies can result in itchy eyes, nose or throat. When people breathe in dust mite allergens, their immune systems produce chemicals which irritate and inflame mucous membranes in the nose and throat, making itchy eyes, nose or throat symptoms appear. An allergic response may even dry and swell nasal passages, making breathing through them hard while leading to sinus infections; other symptoms could include sneezing, runny noses and itchy, watery or bloodshot eyes; dark circles under-eyes may appear due to dust mite allergies (allergic shiners); itchy skin and general feeling tiredness are common symptoms among those suffering seasonal allergies which result in wheezing asthma (with wheezing as an affect).
Seasonal allergies are easy to detect as their symptoms occur at specific times throughout the year and include symptoms like runny noses, itchy, watery eyes, an itchy nose or throat and coughing. A doctor can usually diagnose seasonal allergies using patient history review and physical exam alone; occasionally they will examine mucus from either nose or throat for signs of eosinophils which are white blood cells produced in large numbers during an allergic reaction.
When symptoms are severe, healthcare providers will often suggest over-the-counter or prescription antihistamines and decongestants as relief measures. Corticosteroid nasal sprays may help control symptoms; additionally, some doctors offer immunotherapy injections containing allergens to which patients are allergic in order to build immunity to them over time.
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