Welcome to summer allergy season! Spring’s over, but you’re still stopped up, sniffly, and sneezing. Or You may feel as though you have year-round allergies, and you may be right… See what’s most likely to be causing you to sneeze and wheeze as the months go by. It keeps going long after April’s showers and May’s flowers are gone. Many of the same triggers are to blame. Once you know what they are, you can take steps to get treated.
Pollen Is the Biggest Culprit
Allergic to tree pollen? Trees are usually done with their pollen-fest by late spring. That leaves grasses and weeds to trigger summer allergies. Although tree pollination can begin as early as February, it can last through May. That means you might need to slog through spring allergies for four long months. Grass pollen can also emerge this time of year in some parts of the country.
The type of plant to blame also varies by location. Those most triggering plants that likely to make you sneeze or sniffle during the warmer time of the year include:
Plants
- Ragweed
- Russian thistle
- Sagebrush
- Tumbleweed
Grasses
- Bermuda
- Orchard
- Red top
- Sweet vernal
- Timothy
Ragweed is one of the most common summer allergy triggers. It can travel for hundreds of miles on the wind. So even if it doesn’t grow where you live, it can make you feel bad if you’re allergic to it.
Nevertheless, not only flowers and pollen can trigger most symptoms:
Smog: It’s Worst This Time of Year
Summer air pollution can make your symptoms worse. One of the most common is ozone at the ground level. It’s created in the atmosphere from a mix of sunlight and chemicals from car exhaust. Summer’s strong sunlight and calm winds create clouds of ozone around some cities.
Critters That Sting Are More Active
Bees, wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, fire ants, and other insects can cause allergic reactions when they sting. If you have a severe allergy, a run-in with one of them could lead to a life-threatening situation.
Insect bites usually cause mild symptoms, like itching and swelling around the area. Sometimes they lead to a severe allergic reaction, though. Your throat feels like it’s swelling shut, and your tongue might swell. You could feel dizzy, nauseated, or go into shock. This is an emergency, and you’ll need to get medical help right away.
Tiny Things Grow in Warm Air
Molds love damp areas, including the basement and bathrooms. Their spores get into the air and set off an allergic reaction.
Microscopic insects called dust mites peak during summer. They thrive in warm, humid temperatures and nest in beds, fabric, and carpets. Their residue can get into the air and set off sneezes, wheezes, and runny noses.
Although the Summer is already in its mid-run, and it seems as June has passed like it wasn’t even there, but for someone who suffer from summer allergies will know what it means like when you can’t wait for the day to be over.
Let’s see what each month of summer has in particular; and which plants bloom specifically on each month, when talking about allergies:
JUNE
June is a key grass pollen month in many areas, and it’s likely that grass pollen will start to trigger your spring allergies by this time of year if it hasn’t already. As the days get longer and the temperature gets higher, you’ll probably want to spend more time outdoors. If you suffer from spring allergies, you may have good days and bad days — the temperature, the rainfall amount, and even the time of day will affect grass pollen levels, and you’ll need to adjust accordingly.
JULY
The good news is that by July, grass pollen should sub-side and you might feel like your spring allergies are finally becoming manageable again. The bad news is that July marks the start of fungus spores and seeds, so if you’re allergic to molds and spores, too, you may feel like your allergies never end. Mold can grow on fallen leaves, compost piles, grasses, and grains.
AUGUST
August is a prime month for people with summer allergies to mold spores, which peak during hot, humid weather. You might want to stay inside on days when the mold spore count is particularly high. The best way to keep away from these allergens is to run the air conditioning.
Talking about late summer, August is very related to September, because they are both almost transition to Autumn and even Winter:
During the late summer/early fall ragweed is the most common cause of Autumn allergies. Depending on where you live, ragweed-fueled Autumn allergies can start already in August and continue through October and possibly November. Pollen grains are lightweight and spread easily, especially on windy days. The more wet and windy autumn is in your area, the more easily the pollen spreads, and the worse your symptoms will feel.
What’s the solution?
Avoidance
Take steps to avoid seasonal allergens. For instance, use an air conditioner with a HEPA filter to cool your home in summer, rather than ceiling fans. Check your local weather network for pollen forecasts, and try to stay indoors when pollen counts are high. At times of year when your hay fever is active:
- keep your windows shut
- limit your time outdoors
- consider wearing a dust mask when you’re outside, especially on windy days
It’s also important to avoid cigarette smoke, which can aggravate hay fever symptoms.
CBD
When allergies won’t let up, more and more people are using CBD for allergies to help them manage their symptoms naturally. Using CBD oil for allergies may help you avoid having to take medications that can leave you drowsy. CBD is fast becoming a popular way to promote a better balance throughout the body. To understand if it’s right for you, however, it’s important to know exactly what it is:
CBD Oil For Allergies
As interest has increased in the healing properties of cannabis, attention is being paid increasingly to cannabidiol, also known as CBD, one of over 100 active compounds in the hemp plant. Industrial hemp is a close cousin of marijuana, but the difference between hemp CBD and THC is that hemp has trace THC amounts of no more than 0.3% concentration by weight (by comparison, marijuana can have concentrations over 30%). This means there’s no such thing as a “CBD high” — it’s perfect for letting you explore the benefits of cannabis without risking a psychoactive effect or failing a standard drug test. This makes CBD great for allergies, if you have to get back in the game fast.
Allergies And The Immune System
When you use CBD oil for allergies, you’re using it to promote a better immune system. An allergic reaction is when your immune system responds to the presence of a foreign substance, an allergen. This response to the allergen results in watery eyes, a runny nose, increased sinus pressure, puffiness, and difficulty breathing — all the symptoms allergy sufferers are familiar with.
CBD for allergies should not be used as emergency intervention in the case of an acute allergic reaction or anaphylactic event. In these cases, medical intervention is needed, and CBD is a supplement and not a drug. Daily use of CBD supports a healthier endocannabinoid system, which in turn, helps regulate your body. It is this regulating effect that makes it so effective for those who suffer from allergies.
The best cure is most often prevention, that means making sure the immune system is strong and healthy before an attack occurs. CBD oil for allergies is best taken daily as part of a self-care routine. Here are couple of ways to include it in your daily regime:
- Oils – There’s no better way to use CBD. Simply take your preferred dose into the included dropper, and place it under your tongue;
- Topicals – If your joints ache every time allergy season comes around, CBD infused lotions, gels, and balms give you an easy way to deliver a potent dose of CBD for allergies through the skin, directly to the tissues that need it the most.
Remember one very important thing – allergies don’t just happen. They take months or even years after exposure for your immune system to develop an allergic response to an allergen. A healthier immune system is less likely to create an exaggerated threat response. When taking CBD for allergies, you’re prompting your endocannabinoid system to create a boosted immune system.
Take care of yourself. Stay healthy!
Yours, truly
Biomedicanna Team
Amazing article! :)) great info, advises and style! Fantastic! 😀