It’s that time of year again. Grass allergies are kicking off the summer allergy season, the second phase of nature’s pollination cycle.
Here are three main plant culprits that set off seasonal allergies every year: blooming trees in the spring, grasses in the summer, and then weeds in the fall.
If you’re allergic to grass pollen, you may experience hay fever attacks, also known as allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation in the nose with the symptoms of runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and swelling around the eyes.
Your skin may also react if it comes into contact with grass. Hives, itchy red bumps, may appear on the skin where the grass touched your skin. However, respiratory symptoms are more likely than skin rashes.
To keep allergies at bay, be sure to take your antihistamine medication before leaving the house. Over-the-counter solutions may clear up many symptoms you have.
The most common grass irritants:
Bermuda grass;
Johnson grass;
Kentucky Bluegrass;
Orchard grass;
Ryegrass;
Sweet Vernal-grass;
Timothy grass;
Redtop grass;
Meadow fescue.
These grasses grow about everywhere in the U.S.
A pollen count, provided by pollen.com, is a measurement of how much pollen is in the air in a certain area at a specific time. The source uses the scale from zero to 12. Low grass pollen counts are from zero to 2.4, low to medium from 2.5 to 7.2, high – medium from 7.3 to 9.6, and high from 9.7 to 12.
If you suffer the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis, the best course of action is to speak with a specialist about an accurate diagnosis and treatment.