Seasonal Allergies: Understanding Why You Feel Sick At Specific Times Of The Year

The coming of the spring or the summer seasons can be quite exciting for most people. Unfortunately, for people who have seasonal allergies, every year the coming of spring and the summer brings about a lot of miseries. If you are one of those people who have seasonal allergies, you need to understand your type of allergies so that you will be better able to cope with it. Note that seasonal allergies can sometimes be prevented if you know what triggers your allergies. If you can avoid your allergy triggers, then you can be symptom free for the whole of the season. On the other hand, if you cannot entirely avoid your triggers, at least you can prepare yourself better and could take some precautions to mitigate the effects of your seasonal allergies.

What Are Seasonal Allergies?

According to experts, there are certain types of people who are allergic to some specific kinds of particles in the air. In most cases, the change in season or the weather would usher a change in airborne particles that’s why most people only have allergies at certain parts of the year. In the United States, the pollen in the air during the spring and the summer seasons can cause seasonal allergies. Birch, oak and maple tree pollens are few of the most common culprits of seasonal allergies in the country. Ragweed and other weed pollens can be quite potent for some people and could trigger some serious allergic reactions.Â

Avoiding Your Triggers

The first step to getting rid of seasonal allergies – or at the least, controlling them somewhat –  is to identify what triggers it. Different people have different triggers so you must know what causes yours. You can identify your allergies triggers by keeping logs of the things that you do during the day and how your body reacts to it. For instance, if you happen to be exposed to certain types of pollen, you need to note down your reaction to it. If you start sneezing and coughing a few minutes after you have passed an oak tree during springtime, then there is a big possibility that your allergic reaction was triggered by the pollen from the oak tree.

Of course, there is a more scientific way to determine allergies. Doctors have special skin tests that can help them find out pretty quickly exactly which of the hundreds of common allergens are causing your specific allergy symptoms. When I had my own allergy test, I remember the doctor pressed a special block onto my arm; this block had dozens of tiny needles, each one tipped with an allergen. After a few minutes, the doctor made a chart of the reaction to each of these allergens, noting the specific size and color of any discolorations or bumps that developed. Before long, I had a list of exactly what I was allergic to.

Once you know what triggers your allergic reaction, it would be best for you to avoid these things. If you happen to be living in a street lined with oak trees, it might be a good idea for you to move to another place where there are lesser possibilities for you to be exposed to oak tree pollen.

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