Are you suffering from itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose or pressure behind your eyes? Feeling all stopped up lately? If so, you’re not alone.
Although people feel compelled to enjoy the great outdoors during the spring and fall seasons, it can also be an uncomfortable time for allergy sufferers. Allergies affect one in every five Americans, and each year more than $1 billion is spent to treat allergies in the United States, according to MedicineNet.com. Approximately five to 10 percent of Americans suffer from allergies, which are a leading cause of absences in schools and in the workforce.
In the United States, 75 percent of the population is allergic to ragweed; 50 percent is allergic to grasses and 10 percent to trees. Others are allergic to mold spores, animal protein and dust mites.
Although the proper term is allergic rhinitis, many refer to allergy flare-ups as hay fever. This term came about years ago when those harvesting crops complained of sneezing, nasal congestion and eye irritation.
Conditions such as sinusitis and asthma often stem from allergic rhinitis. When symptoms occur during a specific season it’s called seasonal allergic rhinitis, and when they occur throughout the year it’s called perennial allergic rhinitis, MedicineNet.com says.
According to AllergyUSA.com of Olney, Md., when allergic rhinitis flares, the person is reacting to an allergen in the environment. Some allergens are pollen, mold, dust mites and animal protein. The allergens come in contact with the nasal passages and eye linings causing sneezing, nasal congestion and itchy, watery, swollen eyes.
Not all allergens can be avoided, and many windborne pollens may travel hundreds of miles. The following are common sources of allergens that cause problems and the time of year to beware of them:
