Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center

Pollen

If your asthma or allergy symptoms flare up only at certain times of year, you may be allergic to pollen. One out of five people in the United States suffer from pollen-related hay fever.

Pollen is tiny, seed-like grains released by flowers, trees, grasses, and weeds in order for these plants to reproduce. These grains are carried by the wind or insects and can travel for hundreds of miles. (A square mile of ragweed, one of the top pollen producers, lets out up to 16 tons of pollen, and can be blown up to 100 miles away!) Wind-borne pollen can easily get into your eyes, nose, or airways causing havoc to your system. Insect borne pollen generally is too large to cause an allergic response. For this reason trees that flower like dogwoods don't cause allergies.

Tree pollen is prevalent in early spring; grass pollen is present from late spring through mid-summer in the Midwest, and longer in the Southern states; ragweed, as well as other weeds, pollinates in late summer and up until the first hard frost in the Midwest.

While there is no way to eliminate pollen from the air, the following may help in reducing your symptoms when pollen counts are especially high.

• Check the local pollen count daily. When counts are high, avoid outdoor activities. (You can get the daily pollen count along with the latest asthma and allergy news from Vivra's Breathing Zone's home page).
• Keep your house closed during the pollen season.
• Use central air conditioning when possible. Leave the fan on so to continuously circulate the inside air through the filters (use extended surface multi-pleat filters if you need disposable filters).
• Do not use an attic fan during pollen season. It draws outside, pollen-filled air into the house.
• Avoid outdoor exposure during midday and early afternoon when pollen counts are highest.
• Save outdoor activities for after a rain when pollen has been washed out of the air, but be aware that some molds only release their spores into the air on rainy days or when the humidity is high.
• Wear glasses to avoid getting pollen in your eyes.
• After being outdoors, shower and wash your hair, change your clothes, and place dirty clothes in a hamper outside the bedroom.
• Wear a mask when doing yard work. It's best not to work outdoors during your particular "season", if you are allergic to pollens or mold.
• Avoid using sedating antihistamines in you are operating machinery or driving your car.
• Make sure you take your allergy vaccine injections regularly.
• Call your allergist if symptoms are not well controlled so that you can discuss treatment options.