An estimated 25 million Americans suffer from spring allergies associated with tree, grass, and weed pollen. Airborne pollen is the most common cause of seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis.

Worldwide, hay fever affects between 10-30 percent of the population,¹ making springtime a season of discomfort rather than joy for many.

Most people turn to antihistamines, decongestants, nasal sprays, and allergy shots to address their symptoms. Unfortunately, many of these drugs can cause significant side effects, and relief tends to be short-lived. Moreover, they don’t address the underlying cause of your allergies.

The good news is that you do have options—drugs are not your only viable alternative. Also, taking a few preventive steps to avoid known triggers may help keep your allergy symptoms as minimal as possible.

As noted by Dr. James Sublett, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI):²

“Because there can be millions of pollen particles in the air, finding allergy relief can seem nearly impossible for some. But by knowing what triggers your allergy symptoms and how to avoid these allergens, you can be on your way to a sneeze-free season.”

Pollen is an extremely common allergen, but other agents can trigger allergenic processes as well. Mold spores, dust, airborne contaminants, dust mites, pet dander, cockroaches, environmental chemicals, cleaning products, personal care products, and foods can all cause allergic reactions.

Every person is different in what he or she reacts to. And, just because you haven’t reacted to something in the past doesn’t mean you won’t react to it in the future—you can become sensitized at any point in time.

How and Why Spring Allergies Develop

Allergies are your body’s reaction to particles that it considers foreign (aka allergens). The first time your body encounters an allergen, your plasma cells release immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody specific to that allergen.

IgE attaches to the surface of your mast cells, which are found in great numbers in your surface tissues, such as your skin and nasal mucous membranes, where they help mediate inflammatory responses. Mast cells release a number of important chemical mediators, one of which is histamine.

So, the second time your body encounters a particular allergen, within a few minutes your mast cells become activated and release a powerful cocktail of histamine, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins, which trigger the entire cascade of symptoms you associate with allergies, such as sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, hacky cough, itchy eyes, etc.