ALLERGY SEASON: SYMPTOMS, TIMING & MORE

UNDERSTANDING ‘ALLERGY SEASON’

You may have come across the phrase, “Allergy season is upon us” before, but what exactly does that mean? When does allergy season start? Or, better yet, when does it end?

Read on to learn all you need to know about allergy season – including what you can expect throughout the year if you experience allergies, common allergy symptoms, and how you can best prepare for allergy season.

WHAT ARE SEASONAL ALLERGIES?

Seasonal allergies (also called hay fever or allergic rhinitis) are allergy symptoms that only occur at certain times of the year, usually when allergens like mold spores and different types of pollen from trees, grasses or weeds are released into the air.ⁱ

If you are allergic to mold spores or pollen – just as with other allergies such as dust or pet allergies – your immune system will treat these allergens as a threat, and react by releasing substances such as histamine and other mediators into your bloodstream to help combat them.ⁱ This release of histamine can cause common allergy symptoms such as:ⁱⁱ

• Sneezing
• Runny or stuffy nose (nasal congestion)
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Itchy mouth or skin
• Fatigue (often due to poor quality sleep as a result of nasal congestion)

You can develop seasonal allergies at almost any age, however they usually develop by around the age of 10 and peak around your early 20s. Symptoms can also often disappear later in life.ⁱ

WHEN IS ALLERGY SEASON?

It may surprise you to learn that there actually isn’t one allergy season. In fact, allergy season occurs all year round. Depending on what you’re allergic to, you may experience allergy symptoms at different times of the year to people who have other types of allergies.

Generally speaking, though, there are three ‘allergy seasons’ when certain outdoor allergens tend to be airborne in greater numbers: spring, summer, and fall.

SPRING

Spring allergy season in Canada usually starts out west, and can start as early as mid-March. Trees are the main culprit during this time, as they produce high amounts of pollen. A particularly rainy spring season can also result in more rapid plant growth, leading to a spike in mold spores around this time.ⁱⁱⁱ

Unfortunately for spring allergy sufferers, more than two-thirds of this group actually experience symptoms all year round.ⁱⁱⁱ

SUMMER

During warm summer months, grass varieties—such as Bermuda and blue grass—are major offenders of pollen release.

FALL

Grasses are the top allergy offenders during the fall season—especially ragweed, which can grow in nearly every environment. During the fall months, people who have allergies to plants including burning bush, cocklebur, lamb’s-quarters, pigweed, sagebrush, tumbleweed and Russian thistle are also more likely to experience allergy symptoms.ⁱⁱⁱ

WHEN IS ALLERGY SEASON OVER?

Since there is no one answer to the question, “When is allergy season?” it’s also hard to say when allergy season is over—particularly when many people with allergies will experience them at different times from one another. Having said that, outdoor allergens should stop bothering you at the first fall frost.

Many people experience year-round allergy symptoms, regardless of when certain allergy seasons start and end.^{ii, v} Allergy symptoms can also be caused by common indoor allergens—such as dust mites, pet dander, insects and mold—which can be hard to avoid day-to-day.ⁱⁱ If you are only allergic to one type of pollen or mold, however, allergy season may be over for you when that allergen is no longer prevalent.

People who are allergic to indoor allergens have what is known as ‘perennial’ allergic rhinitis, rather than ‘seasonal’ allergic rhinitis. However, it’s possible to have both, and people with the perennial strain can experience more severe allergy symptoms during pollen seasons if they suffer from perennial and seasonal rhinitis.ⁱⁱ

To find out what’s causing your allergy symptoms, consult your doctor or an allergist. They can advise you on how best to manage and treat your symptoms during the allergy season that applies to you. While avoiding indoor and outdoor allergens is the most effective treatment, it’s not always possible.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR ALLERGY SEASON

The first step is to know what you’re allergic to. An allergist can help you identify the causes of your allergy symptoms. Next, it helps to minimize your exposure to those allergens—whether that means cleaning your home in a certain way to reduce indoor allergens or keeping an eye on your local allergy forecast so you can plan ahead.

If you are suffering from allergy symptoms, however, you can manage them with an effective over-the-counter allergy relief medicine, like FLONASE Allergy Relief spray. FLONASE provides 24-hour all-in-one allergy relief by controlling several key inflammatory substances your body releases when you have an allergic reaction, whereas most non-prescription allergy medications will only act on one of these substances.^† Spraying Flonase daily in your nose delivers medicine directly to the source of your allergies (your nose), and it is non-drowsy too.

FLONASE provides all-in-one 24-hour relief of:

• nasal congestion
• runny nose
• sinus pain and pressure
• itchy, watery eyes
• itchy nose and throat
• sneezing

^{†Mechanism vs most over-the-counter (OTC) allergy pills. FLONASE Allergy Relief acts on multiple inflammatory substances (histamine, prostaglandis, cytokine, tryptases, chemokine, and leukotrienes). The exact number and precise mechanism are unknown.}