Spring brings beautiful trees and flowers but also allergy season for some folks. Based on spring weather, what kind of allergy season should we expect? Learn more about the connection between weather and allergies
The biggest spring allergy trigger is pollen. March and April are the months when tree pollen begins to take off in the U.S. The biggest offenders are: Oak, maple, cedar, mulberry, elm, sycamore, hickory, birch, poplar, and box elder. Learn more about which plants cause allergies.
Your immune system mistakes pollen entering your nose as a danger, which causes the release of natural histamines, which triggeres the symptoms allergy sufferers know too well: Sneezuing, itchy eyes, coughs, and runny nose.
The allergy season is generally worse when there are earlier-than-expected temperature increases. Plants bloom earlier early, filling the skies with pollen, lots and lots of pollen.
Specifically, these are the condition which affect the severity of an allergy season:
- A Warm Winter: Winter allergies are usually mold allergies. When the winter is warm, there is usually a record amount of mold. Winter has just ended, and the mold is still around.
- A Warm Spring: Warm, early spring temperatures encourage plants to bloom early. Trees release their pollens as soon as it starts to warm.
- Dry Weather: Rain usually washes pollen out of the skies. Unfortunately, according to the US Drought Monitor, more than 58% of the continental US is dry or in drought.
- Windy Weather: If you live in a windy area, the pollen is more easily carried through the air and pollen counts are high. On the other hand, rainy days bring down pollen counts!
Official recordings of pollen levels do not start until the beginning of April, but current pollen counts are already in the moderate range for some areas.
- The Southeast began to feel the first effects of allergy season in early March, as trees began to release pollen. However, we’re predicting near-normal spring temperatures so the allergies shouldn’t be worse than usual.
- The Midwest has jumpstarted spring with some warm weather periods. This probably means an early and nasty allergy season for those who live in Chicago, Detroit, and Midwestern areas.
- It’s too early to forecast the season but keep tabs by checking the Natural Allergy Map here.
You can avoid the worst if you prepare early. Start medicines a couple weeks before you allergy season in your area. Then take a deep breath and go outside and enjoy the beautiful flowers!
See home remedies for spring allergies and suffering sinuses.