2023’s Worst Cities for Grass Allergies This Summer

How can a person tell if they’re allergic to grass pollen versus other types of pollen?

Typically, grass-sensitized patients will have itching of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat, runny nose, sneezing, congestion, and post-nasal drainage when they are outdoors during the grass season. 

The grass season in the Midwest typically begins in late May and goes to mid-July, but varies regionally in some parts of the country.  Sometimes it is not evident to patients that grass is the culprit which can make  a diagnosis of grass allergy more challenging.

What are the top three ways to alleviate allergy symptoms from grass pollen?

1. Avoidance is difficult, but when indoors, keeping windows closed and running the A/C prevents outdoor allergens from coming indoors.
2. Medications can help to treat the symptoms  or mild symptoms, an oral non-sedating antihistamine is effective for controlling itching, sneezing, and runny nose, but is not effective for nasal congestion. For moderate to severe symptoms, nasal sprays, such as a nasal corticosteroid or a nasal antihistamine spray, either alone or in combination, are very effective when used on a regular basis until the season ends.  
3. For long term management, allergen immunotherapy to grass pollen is very effective at inducing tolerance and allowing patients to reduce or discontinue medications.  Allergen immunotherapy can be administered as sublingual tablets approved by the FDA or as subcutaneous injections.  The latter is more appropriate if patients are sensitized to multiple allergens.  Allergen immunotherapy, if effective at reducing patient-reported symptoms, should be continued for 3-5 years for optimal effectiveness although some patients may require longer courses.

What kinds of grasses are the most troublesome during allergy season? 

The grasses will vary regionally but timothy, fescue, and brome are common grasses. Bermuda is not as cross-reactive. Most grasses are 80% or more cross-reactive, meaning they are homogeneous in the allergen structure.

What is one common misconception about seasonal grass allergies? 

Many people believe allergies are a mild nuisance when in fact they have a significant impact on quality of life, work, and leisure activities.

How can you tell the difference between seasonal allergies and a cold?

A cold is self-limiting and goes a way after a few days, whereas allergies are more persistent and recurrent at the same time each year.  Allergies will improve when the patient goes into an air-conditioned environment and are more responsive to non-sedating antihistamines and nasal sprays.

When does grass allergy season typically begin and end?  

This will depend on the part of the country, but as discussed above, in the Midwest they begin in late May and end mid-July but could begin earlier and last longer.

How can a person tell if they’re allergic to grass pollen versus other types of pollen?

The time of year that patients have symptoms can somewhat help distinguish what pollen may be causing the allergy symptoms.  For instance, trees typically pollinate in the spring, grasses in the summer, and weeds in the fall.  The only way to tell for certain however which pollen a patient is allergic to is by allergy testing.

What are the top three ways to alleviate allergy symptoms from grass pollen? 

The three primary ways for alleviating allergy symptoms associated with grass pollen include:

1.  Avoid as much as possible. Keeping the windows in the house and cars closed during grass pollen season can be helpful. 
2. Another remedy includes changing clothes and taking a shower after working outdoors to rinse off the pollen. Nasal irrigation rinses can also be helpful after working outdoors. 
3. Finally, allergy medications such as over-the-counter oral antihistamines or topical nasal corticosteroids can be helpful. Consult with your doctor if you have questions about taking these medications.

What kinds of grasses are the most troublesome during allergy season? What are the most allergy-friendly grass types? 

Unfortunately, there really isn’t an allergy-friendly type of grass. Generally speaking, there are southern grasses and northern pasture grasses. There is extensive cross-reactivity among the pollen of the cool and warm-season grasses. When looking under the microscope these grass pollen look identical as they are all large and monoporate. 

What is one common misconception about seasonal grass allergies?

The most common misconception about grass allergy is it will cause people symptoms all year long when they are mowing their lawn. The only part of the grass that people are allergic to is the pollen and that is only being produced at a specific time of year. 

If patients are having symptoms consistently throughout the year it could be more of a fungal spore allergy as mowing stirs up spores as well.

How can you tell the difference between seasonal allergies and a cold? 

Patients with seasonal allergies can have symptoms of itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy nose, and post-nasal drainage.  Some of the symptoms can also overlap with the common cold.  

Allergy symptoms can be correlated with peaks in pollen counts whereas colds are not.  Allergies also typically do not cause fever which can be seen with viral infections.

When does grass allergy season typically begin and end? 

The exact onset of grass pollen season is more specific regionally but as a whole, grasses will pollinate in the late spring to early summer and, to a lesser extent, a brief pollination in the fall.  There is growing evidence through climate change that the length of grass pollination season is extending.

How can a person tell if they’re allergic to grass pollen versus other types of pollen?

Grass pollen allergies and allergies to other types of pollen (cedar, olive tree, and others) will look the same with generally the same symptoms, but they will occur at different times of year, as you will only have symptoms when the tree or grass is pollinating. An allergy test can help distinguish which pollens one is sensitized to.

What are the top three ways to alleviate allergy symptoms from grass pollen?

1. Medications will probably be the most useful way for people to deal with the problem in the short run –– either an antihistamine or a nasal steroid spray. 
2. Over the long term, allergy shots can reduce the symptoms in a more permanent fashion but do involve a number of visits to the clinic to get the shots. 
3. Avoidance of the pollen is helpful in theory –– doing things like closing the windows at night and running your air conditioner or HEPA filter to filter out pollens –– but can come at the cost also avoiding things you might otherwise want to do in your life, like being outdoors, hiking, etc.

What kinds of grasses are the most troublesome during allergy season? What are the most allergy-friendly grass types?

Unfortunately, grass pollens are highly cross-reactive, meaning that if you are sensitized to one pollen, you will react to most of them. However, your lawn is not usually the problem. Grass pollen is released when grass grows up and goes to seed, so the pollens causing your symptoms are not usually coming from your lawn, which is kept mowed.

What is one common misconception about seasonal grass allergies?

A common misconception is that people with grass pollen allergies cannot play field sports like soccer or football. Your symptoms are not coming from the field you are playing on; it’s the wild grasses that have gone to seed that are the problem. 

Grass pollens can blow in the wind for miles, so ripping out your lawn or refusing to play field hockey will have little effect on your symptoms.

How can you tell the difference between seasonal allergies and a cold? 

Itching is probably the major symptom that is different, with itching being much more prominent in allergies. Allergies also do not cause fevers, so if fever is present, it is not an allergy. 

Allergies will wax and wane from day to day depending on pollen exposure but will be present for days to weeks, or longer. Cold symptoms will start and end in a few days, typically, and follow a steady course of getting worse and then better.

When does grass allergy season typically begin and end?

The grass pollen season depends on where you live. In the San Francisco Bay Area, it will begin usually around May and end sometime in July. This is changing and expanding somewhat with changes in climate though.