Ragweed
The shortening days and soon to be cooler temperatures mean one thing: ragweed season is coming. While most Richmonders experience their worst symptoms in the spring during tree pollen season, many also experience nasal and sinus symptoms in the fall when ragweed becomes a major allergen in the greater Richmond area, among other weed pollens. According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, ragweed is present in 49 states and there are 17 different kinds of ragweed.
Ragweed looks like a spiky golf ball under the microscope and is instantly recognizable to allergists. Ragweed plants are prolific: A single ragweed plant may produce a billion pollen particles in a season. Ragweed pollens are light, which helps them travel far and wide. Ragweed pollens have been found to have floated as much as 400 miles and have been found in the ocean far from land.
Ragweed usually peaks from Labor Day to mid-September and typically disappears with the first frost of the year. Ragweed pollen levels are highest in the early morning. When the rain washes pollen out of the air, mold tends to take over.
Molds
The main outdoor molds in the fall are Alternaria and Cladosporium. These are generally found in damp areas such as decaying leaves. Outdoor and indoor molds can cause both nasal symptoms and asthma symptoms. People who get sinus pressure and congestion when it rains may have a mold allergy, and it may be worth looking into allergic triggers if you have those symptoms every fall. Molds do not appear in typical pollen counts, so it can be difficult to track exactly what is in the air unless you have a certified pollen counting station near you.
What You Can Do
As with all allergy management, avoidance of allergens is key. Showering after spending time outside and wearing a mask and eye protection when outside may be helpful. Treatment for fall allergy symptoms includes antihistamines, nasal sprays, and allergy shots to desensitize patients to their allergens. There is also an oral treatment for ragweed allergy that works similarly to allergy shots but is in pill form.
If your allergies are flaring right around Labor Day, come in for a visit, and we’ll find a plan that is right for you and your symptoms!