The Allergy Season Survival Guide
Allergy season is here, and if you’re struggling, you’re not alone. In 2024, around 67 million adults and 14 million children in the United States were diagnosed with seasonal allergic rhinitis (or seasonal allergies).
While it’s common to diagnose allergies in kids, adults in their 20s, 30s and older can experience adult onset seasonal allergies. If you’re new to this, don’t worry. We’re walking you through what seasonal allergies are, why they occur, and the safest tips to get you through the spring.
What are seasonal allergies?
Seasonal allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction to particles of pollen from grasses, trees and weeds that get in the air. While spring allergies have a bad reputation, you can get seasonal allergies any time of year, depending on what you’re allergic to.
Allergies develop when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance and the reaction causes specific clinical symptoms. Spring allergies tend to start in February, lasting until the early summer months.
Spring comes with trees and grasses in the air, especially around West Texas where the wind picks up plenty of dirt. This can trigger a reaction as we breathe in tree and grass pollen.
Sudden allergies in your adulthood have a few potential contributing factors, including genetics and the environment.
Symptoms of seasonal allergies
Depending on your individual allergic profile, you might experience mild or severe allergy symptoms. Common adult symptoms include:
- Runny nose
- Itchy eyes
- Sneezing
- Congestion
- Coughing
- Fatigue
- Post-nasal drip
These discomforts can negatively affect your daily life, including work, sleep and exercise—and some symptoms left untreated could have long-term effects. While some people believe seasonal allergies are just something you have to live with, there are several options available to alleviate your struggles.
Management options
For the most accurate diagnosis of your seasonal allergies, you can see an allergist to get an allergy test.
There are several different classes of allergy medication, all designed to relieve symptoms. Some over-the-counter options include:
- Antihistamines: Antihistamines may help relieve runny nose, congestion, sneezing and itching. Cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra) and loratadine (Claritin) are all antihistamines.
- Nasal sprays: Corticosteroid nasal sprays improve nasal symptoms, and include fluticasone propionate (Flonase), budesonide (Rhinocort) and triamcinolone (Nasacort).
- Saline rinses: Using saline solution to rinse your nasal passages can be an effective way to relieve nasal congestion by flushing out mucus and allergens. You can acquire ready-made saline solutions or kits that only require adding water.
If your seasonal allergies cause symptoms such as coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath, it might help to have an inhaler, which can be prescribed by your doctor.
Seeing an allergist is your best option if your seasonal allergies are giving you difficulty breathing, are interfering with your capabilities for daily activities or if your over-the-counter medications do not control your symptoms and/or give you impermissible side effects. Your allergist can offer you options such as prescription medication or allergy shots (immunotherapy) which provide treatment by desensitizing the immune system to allergens.
Taking new medications for your allergies can cause some unwanted side effects. Certain allergy medications can react badly to heart medications, mood stabilizers or inhalers. Talk to your allergist about any medications you take.
You don’t have to suffer through allergy season. If you’re worried about your seasonal allergy symptoms or just looking for easy ways to manage them, make an appointment with your Texas Tech Physicians allergist today.
To ensure accurate and reliable information, this post was thoughtfully reviewed and
co-written by James Tarbox, M.D.