While we may love the great outdoors, especially in the fall, for some people, the fall season can be a difficult time. As the leaves begin to change and the days get shorter, those who suffer from fall allergies don’t always welcome the season change. For those who are sensitive to ragweed pollen and mold, the fall season can quickly become a sneezing and wheezing season. Once the leaves fall to the ground, the stagnant nature produces mold, especially when combined with mild fall temperatures mixed with rain.
The symptoms of fall allergies can include any of the following:
• Sneezing
• Wheezing
• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Itchy eyes
• Puffy eyes
• Red eyes
• Hives
• Itchy skin
• Asthma attacks
• Fatigue
The mixture of stagnant leaves and pollen isn’t the only fall allergy triggers you need to worry about. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, you also need to be aware of these lesser-known triggers if you suffer from fall allergies.
Hay Fever– Despite the name, hay fever has nothing to do with hay. Also known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever is the term used when a person suffers from late summer allergies. Ragweed pollination typically peaks around Labor Day, and due to the wind, this allergen can stick around until the first hard freeze of winter.
Extended Summer (Indian Summer) – While we often celebrate when its warm out, especially when our summer season gets extended, for those with allergies, unseasonably warm temperatures can prove troublesome. When the warm weather sticks around, it can prolong allergic rhinitis symptoms due to the extra pollen in the air.
Back to School – For those who suffer from allergies and asthma, back to school season is crawling with allergens that can easily trigger an attack. For both kids and adults alike, the new school year can expose a person to pet dander, mold, cleaning products, dust mites, and can even cause exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) symptoms to occur.
Leaves – When we are kids, it is fun to create piles of leaves and jump into them. However, as adults, leaves often turn into a day of work. Many feel that raking is a necessity in order to preserve their lawn, but for those with mold and pollen allergies, raking leaves can actually make your symptoms worse. Raking and even playing in the leaves can agitate these allergens and release them into the air.
If you are suffering from asthma and allergy symptoms, see a board-certified allergist so you can be properly diagnosed and treated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fall allergies commonly cause symptoms such as sneezing, wheezing, runny or congested nose, itchy and red eyes, hives, itchy skin, asthma attacks, and fatigue. These symptoms result from exposure to allergens like ragweed pollen and mold prevalent in the fall season.
Besides ragweed pollen and mold from stagnant leaves, fall allergies can also be triggered by hay fever (allergic rhinitis), extended warm weather (Indian Summer) that prolongs pollen presence, and indoor allergens common in back-to-school settings such as pet dander, dust mites, mold, and cleaning products.
Raking leaves stirs up mold spores and ragweed pollen trapped in the leaf piles, which can worsen allergy symptoms. For people sensitive to these allergens, activities involving leaves can release irritants into the air, increasing sneezing, wheezing, and other allergic responses.
Indian Summer, characterized by unseasonably warm weather extending into fall, can worsen allergy symptoms by prolonging the presence of pollen in the air. This extended warmth allows ragweed and other plants to continue releasing allergens beyond their typical season, resulting in prolonged allergic rhinitis symptoms.
Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is an allergic reaction commonly occurring in late summer and fall due to ragweed pollen. Despite its name, it is unrelated to hay. The peak ragweed pollination around Labor Day often triggers hay fever, which can persist until the first hard freeze, making it a major contributor to fall allergy symptoms.
Back-to-school season exposes children and adults to various indoor allergens such as pet dander, mold, dust mites, and cleaning products commonly present in school environments. Additionally, increased physical activity can trigger exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), leading to asthma symptoms during this time.
If you experience persistent or severe asthma and allergy symptoms during the fall, it is recommended to see a board-certified allergist. A specialist can provide proper diagnosis, identify specific allergens, and tailor effective treatment plans to manage your condition.