Fall is Allergy Season. Surprised?

By Gabby Hyman gabby.hyman@hqpublications.com Pharmavita Columnist September 15, 2004

Most people with serious allergies prepare for the worst every spring. They load up on allergy relief products, restrict their activities, change their diets, and hunker down against the clouds of pollen.

To their astonishment each fall, thinking they’ve passed the worst of it, they pull on their garden gloves, head out into the crisp fall air to rake leaves, and suddenly come down with sniffles and hives.

Beware of Allergies from Molds and Fall Pollen

Just after September is the worst time to let up on your allergy treatment. In fall, molds begin to grow in earnest inside your home, and they grow outside in rain gutters, in piles of mildewing leaves, and in stacks of cut firewood.

From September up to the first frost is ragweed season, and with ragweed season comes nasty spores billowing hundreds of miles across the countryside. Down you go in a torrent of coughing and wheezing.

Stay Vigilant

Mold and fall pollens not only cause hives and the sniffles but, for some, they bring on severe asthma attacks and sinus headaches. If your physician has prescribed an effective allergy relief medication (such as Zyrtec) for spring and summer allergies, now is a critical time stay protected.

In addition to the travails of ragweed, fall is a common time for fresh pollen from thistles, sagebrush, grasses, weeds, and elms. Eliminate compost, dead leaves, and fall pruning from your yard as soon as possible, and make sure you don’t track it into the house. If possible, wear a mask while working in the yard, or while vacuuming and dusting inside it.

Above all, prepare for the worst by stocking up on some fall allergy relief medication. With self-care and preparation, you can avoid turning the holiday season into unending sneezin’.

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has written for print and online media for more than 20 years. He has created online content for eToyds, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Avaya, and Nissan, UK. He has also been a web consultant to the Governer of California. As an author of fiction, journalism, and poetry, Gabby is a former English professor for the University of Illinois, Universityu of Alaska, and Old Dominion University. He holds an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Alabama.