Determining Your Seasonal Allergies

Allergies can be a real pain.  If you come into contact with the item or substance that you are allergic to, it can be really annoying.  You may experience a whole mess of symptoms based on what it is that you are allergic to and how

Seasonal allergies act just like the name suggests.  You will get symptoms at only certain points of the year.  This is sometimes called hay fever since many people get the allergic symptoms at the time that hay is rolled.  It is actually inaccurate to call seasonal allergies hay fever because it can happen for a lot of other reasons as well.  A good way to tell what you are allergic to is to keep track of when you feel the symptoms during the allergy season.  For example, if you get itchy, watery eyes in the spring, then there is a good chance that you could be allergic to a tree.  There are many trees that pollinate in spring, including oak, elm, and birch trees.  This should narrow down what you believe you are allergic to. 

If you feel symptoms in the summer, then you may be allergic to grass.  This would then be your allergy season.  By the time summer rolls around, the grass in yours and your neighbor's yards will have grown considerable.  When grass is mown, the pollen and grass particles will fill the air.  When you are allergic to grass pollen, your eyes and nose will get irritated during this time.  If your symptoms happen in the fall, then you may be allergic to certain kinds of weeds.  This time of year has the highest population of pollinating weeds.  You could be allergic to ragweed, tumbleweed, sagebrush, or any other number of weeds.

Even if you have the season narrowed down, it is still very hard to pinpoint what you are allergic to.  One way to help narrow it down further is to keep track of the pollen counts in your area.  There are various organizations that measure the pollen in the air and attribute it to different plants.  If you are having a day with particularly aggravated symptoms, have a look at the pollen counts.  You may be allergic to one of the plants at the top of the list.

To know what you are allergic to for sure, you are going to need to visit a doctor.  There are allergy specialists who's sole purpose is to figure out what people are allergic to.  Tell them about your symptoms and when you experience them.  then, the doctor will run some tests, usually on a patch of skin on your back, and see how you react to different plant pollens.  From this test, the allergy doctor will know what you are allergic to.

Once you know what you are allergic to, you will have an easier time preventing your worst symptoms.  Your doctor may even prescribe an allergy shot to handle this.  This is an injection you receive on regular visits to the doctor's office.  While going there will no doubt be a hassle, it will be worth it because you won't have to deal with any more terrible seasonal allergy symptoms.