“Spring is my favorite time of year to stop and smell the roses and then sneeze for 20 minutes”
– Someecards.com
Are you sniffing more lately? For allergy sufferers, spring flowers have a dark side. Pollen in the spring and mold in the summer can make us miserable, but there are things we can do for relief.
Bees make the headlines when it comes to pollination, but they’re only half the story. Many trees, grasses, and even flowering plants pollinate by casting scores of pollen grains into the spring wind, hoping they’ll find just the right breeze to fertilize another plant.
Wind pollination is a numbers game. Billions of grains fill the air, and when someone with these allergies breathes them in, their body’s defences go into red alert.
Spring allergies are sometimes called hay fever or allergic rhinitis. Symptoms can vary from person to person and with pollen counts. Symptoms can often be flu-like but don’t cause fever, they include:
- Watery, itchy, swollen eyes
- Sneezing, coughing and runny nose
- Dark circles under the eyes
Managing your Symptoms:
While there’s no cure for allergies, there are a number of things you can do to curb your symptoms while outside.
Pay attention to weather:
- Avoid going outside on dry, windy days as they often have the highest pollen counts.
- Mornings typically have the highest pollen concentrations with the highest concentrations between 5am and 10am. That’s a good excuse to sleep in!
- Love the Rain: Raindrops wash pollen to the ground, so put on the raincoat and enjoy that spring rain smell (right after a rain is also an ideal time to get out).
- Know the Pollen Count: There are a number of places, both on TV and online, to check the pollen count. Find one that you trust; some are more reliable than others. Use this information to help you decide when to spend time outdoors.
Here are a few tips for minimizing your exposure indoors:
- Go Shoeless: Leave your shoes, and the pollen they’ve accumulated, at the back door
- Shower at Night: Washing your hair before bed will prevent you sleeping in pollen that it has collected during the day.
- Close-Up: Shut the windows on dry, windy days and crank them back open when it’s rainy and humid to get the fresh air in.
- Filters: Get a HEPA filter for your furnace and change it often. Even if you don’t need heat, circulate air through the filter.
- Recirculate: In your vehicle, set your dial to re-circulate air during the worst pollen days.
- Medications: There are a multitude of over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants available. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist to discuss what over the counter medication would be best for you.
What to Expect, by the Month:
There’s no escaping pollen in the spring. Even if the trees you see close by don’t appear to be producing pollen, chances are other trees are. Pollen caught in an air current can travel thousands of kilometres just for us to breath it in.
In Canada, Edmonton is one of the worst cities for allergies, while the Prairies in general are a breeding ground for spring molds. Here’s a spring breakdown:
- March: Depending on how early spring happens, March could either be non-eventful for allergy sufferers or the kick off to pollen season.
- April: Tree pollen season starts in earnest, and, if it’s an early spring, expect flowers and grasses to make an appearance
- May: This can be the worst month, with tree pollen rampant and grass/ flower allergens continuing
- June: This is a key grass pollen month, so even though the tree pollen is fading, some can still be sniffling through the month of June.
- July: With tree and grass pollen subsiding, you’ll be feeling better unless you have mold allergies. July, especially if cool and rainy, is peak season for mold to grow on fallen leaves, compost piles, grasses and grains.