Fall Allergy Problems
Fall allergy problems can be some of the most severe of all seasonal allergy issues. Many people find seasonal allergy relief when autumn arrives each year, as the season generally marks the end of warm weather plant pollination. However, for other allergy sufferers, the shorter days and cooler weather are sure indications of impending seasonal allergy problems. High pollen counts and specific types of cool-weather allergens contribute to the nationwide search for available allergy treatment options and indoor air quality enhancers.
Fall Pollen Counts Can be Very High
During the fall, pollen counts can be very high due to certain types of weeds and grasses that pollinate as a result of the late summer heavy rains. Types of fall-flourishing grasses and weeds are ragweed, Tamarix, or salt cedar, sagebrush and Bermuda grass. Desert Broom, flowering shrubs found in the southwestern United States, also release astronomical amounts of pollen into the atmosphere during the fall months.
Common Fall Allergens
There is an abundance of organic allergens in the fall season. Undoubtedly, the largest contributor to fall allergy problems is ragweed. The amber-colored flowering weed starts to pollinate in late August, but continues its procreation attempts late into the fall. To make matters worse, ragweed pollen can travel hundreds and hundreds of miles in the wind. Therefore, fall allergy sufferers around the country can literally be caught in ragweed-coated crosswinds throughout the autumn months.
Dust mites, a common summer indoor allergen, are often interjected into the air when the furnace is fired for the first time of the year. These pesky allergens rise right into the nasal cavity, causing almost immediate runny noses, sneezing and wheezing. Mold is also a major fall allergen contender. Inherently drawn to damp surfaces, it thrives inside the home in dank bathrooms and basements, and outside the home deep within piles of damp leaves.
Allergy Treatment Options
Abstinence from allergies is the obvious most recommended allergy treatment option. However, fall allergy sufferers can run but cannot hide from airborne allergens. Therefore, other allergen eradication methods must be utilized. An abundance of over-the-counter and prescription allergy symptom relievers are available. However, these drugs only temporarily mask the allergy sufferer’s sneezing, watery eyes, wheezing and runny noses for a specific period of time. Allergy shots are also another viable, time-tested allergy alleviating alternative. Known as immunotherapy, allergy shots make you less sensitive to ragweed, dust mites and pollen. This type of allergy treatment must be administered by a general physician or board-certified allergist over an individually determined period of time to be permanently effective.
Improving Indoor Air Quality
During a bout with fall allergies, every attempt must be made at improving indoor air quality to give the body the right ammunition to alternately rest and fight the foreign invasion attack. Regularly laundered floor mats placed outside of household entryways are a recommended first line of defense, as shoe soles release many allergens upon frictional contact with the mats. Frequent dusting, vacuuming, sweeping and mopping are also tried and true methods of minimizing indoor allergens. Using a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity in the home by 30 to 50 percent can also significantly decrease the indoor pollen count enough to experience a significant reduction in fall allergy symptoms.
