It’s that time of the year again when allergies are at an all-time high and they’re also pretty unpredictable. So, you should make sure to keep your medicine with you and consult an allergy specialist if required. Here is everything you need to know about grass pollen allergy and how to deal with it.

Grass Pollen Allergy

You might have heard of pollen allergy, but grass pollen allergy is a type of allergic flare-up that’s caused by the pollen present in grass. Yes, you heard that right. Grass also has pollen in it and it can be a huge trigger of allergies for a lot of people. This allergy can also occur if you come in contact with certain trees, weeds, and even shrubs because pollen is present everywhere and it seems like a nightmare to get rid of.

Like flowers, grass also produces pollen and those are the times when you’re at most risk of falling victim to this trigger. This time can be different for different grasses, as well as depending on the temperature of where you’re living. Some grasses produce pollen all year round, while some produce it during the hot or cold months. Pollen production can also be enhanced in some cooler coastal areas at the beginning of the year, whereas in the southern areas, pollen generation is at an all-time high during September and October.

It can be hard to navigate exactly when pollen production is the highest, so it’s best to take precautions and protect yourself against it at all times.

Causes Of Grass Pollen Allergy

The main cause of grass pollen allergy is not known, and this can go for all kinds of allergies. Yes, the allergic reaction is caused by a trigger, also known as an allergen, but it’s still unknown, especially when it comes to allergies, the main cause of why the immune system acts the way it does when the body comes in contact with an allergen.

The most plausible explanation would be that if you’re someone with a weak immune system and can’t fight against the foreign invasion in your body, aka the invasion of allergens and triggers, then your immune system will activate its defense mechanism and fight the invasion off. This is why you’re going to experience different symptoms of the allergy and that can be a pretty hard thing to deal with.

Symptoms are no joke and they can take a toll on your body. If you don’t understand the management of symptoms properly, then they can make your body weak and you will have no choice, but to wait for the allergic reaction to go away, at its due time. This is why doctors stress the fact that you need to be able to treat the symptoms first because they’re primarily the most unpleasant to deal with, and if you have things under control, then you are good to go.

Symptoms Of Grass Pollen Allergy

Here are some symptoms of grass pollen allergy, so that you can pinpoint exactly what you’re feeling:

Allergic Rhinitis

You might experience allergic rhinitis. This is hay fever and you will be sneezing and coughing most of the time, along with having a high fever that just won’t go down. There also might be itching on your face, cheeks, arms, and legs, which can be highly uncomfortable.

Thunderstorm Asthma

Thunderstorm asthma is also another common symptom of grass pollen allergy. In thunderstorm asthma, you will feel all of the symptoms of asthma, but they will be elevated. You will find breathing normally extremely hard and your chest will feel tight as well.

You will also wheeze as if there isn’t enough air for you to breathe and that can be pretty scary. It may become hard to lay down for too long because you will feel like you can’t breathe properly unless you sit up. There will also be a lot of pressure on your chest and it’s discomforting, to say the least.

Runny Nose

Your nose will be extremely runny and the nasal passage will also be congested. This will prevent you from breathing normally and you might have to engage your mouth to breathe in and out.

Postnasal Drip

Another common symptom of grass pollen allergy would be postnasal drip. It’s the feeling of mucus dripping at the back of the throat when you try to breathe in. The inhale won’t be regular either and you can feel something going in the back of your throat. That’s the mucus that’s trapped in your nose and it’s trying to find a way out, because it’s building up too much.

Water Eyes

You’re going to experience extremely watery and itchy eyes. The whites of your eyes might get red and itchy and they will water like crazy. This can happen especially when the pollen gets into the eye and that can be highly irritating.

This might affect your vision for a bit, but it does go away if you wash your eyes immediately and flush them with cold water. The redness will also be alleviated if you repeat the flushing, several times during the day.

Treatment For Grass Pollen Allergy

Now that you know the symptoms and causes of grass pollen allergy, it’s time to combat it with some treatment options and preventative measures:

Allergy Test

You need to go to an allergy center Germantown immediately if you feel any of the above-mentioned symptoms. This condition can turn serious pretty quickly and you need to get a proper diagnosis so that the treatment can proceed. The doctor will conduct an allergy test, which could be a patch or blood test to look for any allergens. This is the first step in treating your allergies because now you know exactly what you’re up against.

Stay Indoors

You want to try to stay indoors, if it’s windy out because pollen is extremely lightweight and virtually invisible, so you can’t see it latching onto your clothes or skin until it’s too late. Try to close all of the windows and have the air conditioner running, because if there’s one thing that’s not good for you at the moment, that’s ventilation.

You might also need an air purifier, just in case you decide to open your windows. It’s going to catch all of the unwanted impurities in the air, including grass pollen, and prevent a huge allergic flare-up in your body.

Keep The Medicine With You

If you have a treatment plan on hand, then it’s best to keep the medicine with you at all times as well because half the battle is managing the symptoms and if you can get your body under control, then your allergies won’t flare up, so keep the medicine with you at all times.

Good Hygiene

Maintain a good hygiene routine and wash your clothes as soon as you get home from work because you don’t know what’s stuck to them and you don’t want to fall victim to any unwanted grass pollen invasion.

Conclusion

Grass pollen allergy can occur any time of the year, but the main line of action is the fact that you know how to treat it, so alleviating an allergic reaction will be manageable and easy. For severe allergy reactions, rush to an allergy clinic Manassas.