Grass Allergies
While the Southern and Southeastern United States have definite seasons, they are not as clearly defined as the Northeast and Midwest. Yet, it's that time of year again when plants begin their cycle of new growth and cause runny noses and itchy eyes for more than 20% of the population. The pollen producing plants are sending their powder-like particles into the air to fertilize and create new plants.
Grass Allergies
For many people, it's the start of their inhalant allergies which are caused by airborne allergens. Sufferers, from the mild to serious, find their eyes, ears, nose, sinuses, throat, voice box, lungs and skins affected to varying degrees depending on the type of plant to which they react.
Grass Allergies
Symptoms can include: itchy, tearing, burning, swelling eyes; itching, pressure, muffled hearing, popping in the ears; itching, sneezing, congestion, postnasal drip; pain and/or pressure over the cheeks, forehead or between the eyes; scratchy, itchy, sore, dry, hoarse throat; coughing, shortness breath, burning sensation in the chest, wheezing; and rashes, dry skin. If you discover that you suddenly have begun to experience some of these symptoms, you may have a pollen-related inhalant allergy and depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may be able to control it on your own or you may need to visit a doctor. Either way you need to monitor the daily pollen count and track your reactions. This will help you to determine which seasonal plants may be causing your reactions.
Grass Allergies
Allergen Producing Plants
Here's a list of the most common pollen producing plants for Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas that can help you avoid the plants that affect you the most.
Trees
The nut-bearing trees of the South/Southwest -- Maple, Pecan and Walnut -- end their pollination by early June. Most of the other trees produce their pollen in March and April annually.
Grasses
Blue, Orchard, Red Top, Timothy, Italian Rye, Johnson, and Bermuda. Grass pollens are the major source of most pollen allergies because their season lasts from May through September (except for Bermuda which lasts through November), and are the most difficult avoid because of the large exposure of grassy areas. Florida also has three indigenous grasses that pollinate from April through October: St. Augustine, Natal and Bahia.
Weeds
With the exception of English Plantain and Yellow Dock weeds (seasonal April through July), most weeds indigenous to the south/southeast don't begin to bloom and cause allergic reactions until mid-summer through early autumn.
Controlling Your Environments to Avoid the Pollen
You can help to alleviate your reactions immediately and on your own by creating a "pollen-safe" zone within your home, work space and vehicles. You will need to reduce the level of the pollen in the air; control the relative humidity; and "rinse" the pollen agitators out of your nose, sinuses and tissues, and off of your skin.
In your home, make sure that your furnace filters are clean and you are using disposable filters with self-sealing edges that trap and hold allergens and dirty air to provide 100% filtration. Also, remember to change those filters every month. It's also a good idea to add air vent guards to your heating/air conditioning vents for extra air filtration. When you want to "air out" your house, use temporary window guards that include filters similar to vent guards to keep pollen particles from entering your home. Cleaning carpets and floors with a HEPA vacuum also keeps pollen and dust particles from being released back into the room. Also, using a HEPA air purifier helps to control pollen and other air-borne allergens that enter your home from open doors, clothing, groceries, etc.
You probably only have limited control over your work environment, but you can help reduce the pollen and allergens in the air by using a small HEPA air purifier in your work space, and carry a sinus rinse to reduce nasal irritation. When you're in your car, there are HEPA air vehicle purifiers you can use that not only help to control the allergens in your car, but also help to control the dust and dirt that accumulate inside. If you travel by plane, there are even portable plane air purifier filters available that fit on the overhead air nozzle above your seat.
If your symptoms are not severe, these simple steps perhaps in combination with some over-the-counter medications such as eye drops, antihistamines and decongestants may give you all the relief you need this spring. However, if your symptoms are severe and are leading to more serious conditions such as upper respiratory tract infections, corneal abrasions, skin infections, diminished hearing, you need to see a doctor in addition to controlling your environment.
No one wants to miss the fun and the fresh air, and there are a couple of quick things you can do so that you can enjoy the outdoors for limited amounts of time. There are comfortable face masks and wearable air purifiers that can help "clean" the external air and filter out the pollens. You also need to wear "breathable" clothing that covers most of your exposed skin, and you want to try to avoid venturing outside on windy days when the pollen is really blowing.
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