Older Adults
Active Older Adults
for Active Older Adults
7 Things to Know About Seasonal Allergies
By Jessie Sebor | April 22, 2025
Whether they’re mild or make you miserable, understanding your allergies can help you alleviate them.
Spring brings warmer weather, blooming flowers, and greener lawns. But for more than 81 million Americans with seasonal allergies, it can also mean itchy throats, watery eyes, and nonstop sneezing. And allergy season is getting longer. Due to shifts in the climate, experts say it now starts 20 days earlier and lasts 10 days longer than it did 30 years ago—with pollen levels rising more than 20%.
If you or a loved one are affected, knowing what’s behind those symptoms —and how to manage them—can make all the difference.
1. Allergies Are Caused by Our Bodies Overreacting
Allergic reactions occur when your body treats pollen — which is usually harmless — as a dangerous foreign invader. The body believes it needs to fight off the threat, which creates an inflammatory response. The body releases chemicals like histamines, which cause itchiness, redness, and swelling, as well as mucus in the nose, eyes, skin, throat, and ears.
2. Allergy Triggers Vary by Season (and Person)
We often think of seasonal allergies as a spring condition, but they can attack almost any time of year, depending on where you live and what sort of pollen or mold spores you ’ re allergic to.
Tree allergies typically appear in late winter through spring, grasses in late spring through summer, and weeds in late summer through early fall, according to John James, M.D., medical specialist and spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).
Typical autumnal allergies can also be caused by plants like burning bush, pigweed, sagebrush, and mugwort. Depending on the climate where you live, these seasonal triggers can differ.
3. The Symptoms Tend to Be the Same
No matter what sort of pollen you ’ re allergic to, the symptoms are typically universal. You’re likely to experience:
Itchy, stuffy, or runny nose
Red, itchy, or watery eyes
Itchy mouth or skin
Sneezing
Ear infections
Coughing
Fatigue, which can be made even worse if your other allergy symptoms make sleep difficult
for Active Older Adults
7 Things to Know About Seasonal Allergies
By Jessie Sebor | April 22, 2025
4. A Lot of What We Know About Seasonal Allergies Is Based on Studies in Children
In recent years, researchers have pointed out the need for more studies to closely look at the impact of aging and allergic responses. This includes reports in the journal Aging and Disease and in Current Allergy and Asthma Reports.
In the reports, the study authors noted that allergies are the most common autoimmune disease. They affect an estimated 10 to 30 percent of older adults. Allergies are also one of the fastest growing chronic conditions in people over the age of 15.
In older adults, allergy symptoms can sometimes mask other health problems — and vice versa. That’s why recognizing your symptoms early on is so important. Well-managed allergies are indeed a quality-of-life issue.
5. It Might Be a Good Idea to Get Tested
Knowing your triggers can help you avoid them, and the best way to know for sure is to get tested. An allergist will go through your history and recommend either skin or blood testing.
Understanding which plants set off your symptoms can help your provider recommend appropriate treatment and help you lower your exposure, such as removing a specific tree in your yard or using an air purifier at home.
6. Prevention Is Often the Best Treatment
“Environmental control measures or avoidance of relevant allergens is an important step,” says Dr. James, who recommends these simple and effective measures:
If possible, stay indoors when pollen counts are high.
Take a shower and throw your clothes in the wash after being outside. Keep your windows closed and don’t use window fans during allergy season.
Try not to exercise outside during the early morning or evening hours: Pollen counts are typically highest at these times.
Wear a face mask outside as necessary.
Avoid rubbing your eyes.
Try a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom and clean floors with a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter.
7. There Are Lots of Options to Help You Feel Better
There are a number of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription-strength options to treat seasonal allergies.
Newsletter for Active Older Adults
Active Older Adults
for Active Older Adults
Hidden Picture Puzzle
Adults
