Seasonal allergies, also called allergy rhinitis, affect nearly 60 million people in the US every year. In most people, it’s triggered during specific months of the year, while in some, it stays all year round. In any case, allergies can be quite difficult to manage and get in the way of your daily routine.
If you or your loved ones suffer from seasonal allergies, it’s always best to stay prepared to tackle them when they come. The first step to dealing with them is to learn more about them. Here’s all you need to know about the most common seasonal allergies.
What are seasonal allergies?
If you come in contact with an allergen, your body registers it as a foreign threat, and your immune system releases chemicals to fight it. These chemicals include leukotrienes, histamines, and prostaglandins. All of these chemicals work together to cause the allergy symptoms that are apparent to you.
If your body considers it a big threat, you’ll get a much more severe reaction than from a substance you’re only mildly allergic to. For example, most people are not allergic to pollen because their bodies don’t register it as a threat. But there are some people whose immune systems perceive it as dangerous and treat it like an infection.
What are the 4 most common seasonal allergies?
As the name suggests, seasonal allergies flare up during specific seasons when the body is exposed to the allergens that are present in the environment. Typically, most people suffer from these seasonal allergies:
- Mold allergy (usually affects people during fall months)
- Ragweed allergy (comes into swing during fall months)
- Grass pollen allergy (most prevalent during June and July)
- Tree pollen allergy (most prevalent during March and April)
In addition to these, some people suffer from year-round perennial allergies from allergens such as dust mites, cat hair, etc.
What are the symptoms of seasonal allergies?
Seasonal allergies have some fairly obvious symptoms triggered as the immune system starts producing chemicals in response to the allergens. Here are the most common allergy symptoms:
- Watery eyes and runny nose
- Sneezing
- Nasal or chest congestion
- Coughing
- Fatigue
- Itchiness in the nose, throat, and eyes
What is the treatment for seasonal allergies?
Seasonal allergies can be treated with prescription or over-the-counter antihistamines. These medicines stop the body’s immune response against the allergens and provide relief to the symptoms of the allergy. Sometimes cough medicines and decongestants are also prescribed to provide further relief.
If you wish to eliminate the allergy, you can also go for allergen immunotherapy. In this treatment, your body is exposed to the allergen gradually, and it grows a tolerance towards it. Allergen immunotherapy can be sublingual or through subcutaneous injections.
Are you looking for reliable virtual healthcare services to treat your seasonal allergies? At FastDocNow, our certified healthcare professionals provide virtual appointments for a wide range of conditions. You can easily book an online consultation session with qualified professionals on our panel by visiting our website.
Our comprehensive telemedicine services also include online prescription refills, in-home lab testing, mobile imaging, and much more.
Contact us now to learn all about our telemedicine services, and get started today!