When pollen is your worst enemy
Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, doesn’t have anything to do with a fever, or hay for that matter.
Instead, the watery eyes and stuffy nose are most often due to pollen from the beautiful plants and trees gracing your yard or neighborhood. (The condition was so named because it was discovered during haying season, when its symptoms were most present.)
Warren V. Filley, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, gave us the lowdown on some of the most common allergy-causing plants and trees, and how to spot them.
Ragweed
Where you’ll see it: Fields, riverbanks, roadsides, rural areas
There’s a ton in: the Midwest, the Mississippi River basin
Peak time: Summer and fall
“The most allergenic plant we have is ragweed,” says Dr. Filley, “It is less common on the West Coast or in New England. Therefore there is less pollen in those areas.” About 75% of Americans who have plant allergies are sensitive to ragweed, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Mountain cedar
Where you’ll see it: Mountainous areas (hence the name)
There’s a ton in: Arkansas, Missouri, parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Peak time: Spring
“For the Texas hill country, it does not get any worse than the mountain cedar tree, which causes some of the most severe allergy symptoms I have ever seen,” says Dr. Filley.
Ryegrass
Where you’ll see it: Dry, cool lawns, meadows, pastures
There’s a ton in: Northern parts of the United States
Peak time: Spring and summer
Grasses as a whole are often problematic for allergy sufferers, says Dr. Filley. “There’s no allergy-free grass. And if you mow it, you pick up mold as well as pollen.” Other common allergens including timothy, blue, and orchard grasses.
Maple
Where you’ll see it: Along streams, woods
There’s a ton in: the Eastern United States and Canada
Peak time: Early spring
Ash-leaf maple produces potent allergens and is found throughout the United States. Other, more moderate maples that trigger allergies are the red, silver, and sugar varieties.
Elm
Where you’ll see it: Cultivated, wetland habitats
There’s a ton in: the Eastern and Midwestern United States
Peak time: Spring (American Dutch elm); fall (lace bark elm)
Dutch elm disease killed an estimated 100 million elm trees between 1930 and 1980. However, the trees made a comeback in the late 1990s. (Score one for the environment, zero for your allergies.)
Mulberry
Where you’ll see it: Woods, river valleys
There’s a ton in: the Eastern United States
Peak time: Winter to summer
Flowering plants don’t usually produce the most potent allergens. If it’s pretty—think cherry and crabapple trees in blossom—it’s probably “not” causing your misery. However, the mulberry has been known to contribute to hay fever.
Pecan
Where you’ll see it: Woods, orchards
There’s a ton in: the western fringe of the Southeastern United States, north Florida, Georgia, Indiana, and Ohio
Peak time: Spring
Pecans may taste great in pie, but in areas with lots of pecan trees, the pollen is second only to ragweed as a source of severe allergies.
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