Anyone who suffers from hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, wants a warning sign before allergy symptoms set in. Taking precautions can help alleviate the discomfort caused by allergic reactions to seasonal pollens and molds. To establish a reliable warning system, however, individual allergy patients need to diagnose which allergens affect them and how their bodies tend to react. Distinguishing seasonal allergic rhinitis to outdoor plants from perennial allergic rhinitis to indoor environmental allergens is the first step.
Seasonal Patterns
If allergy symptoms persist year round, they are either caused by perennial rhinitis or multiple seasonal allergens. Patients who suspect seasonal hay fever should track when their allergy symptoms tend to cluster. Ragweed, which causes 75 percent of all allergic reactions in Americans, produces pollen in the fall, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The other allergenic pollens from trees and grasses affect patients in spring and summer. Allergy symptoms to the spores of leaf molds may be more difficult to diagnose and predict because these fungi are active throughout the growing season. Patients can stock up on medications and home remedies to be prepared for spring, summer or autumn onset of symptoms.
Pollen and Mold Counts
Television, print and Internet weather programs publish regional pollen counts to help hay fever patients manage their conditions. The Cleveland Clinic notes that most reports cover the environmental levels of pollens and spores from grasses, trees, weeds and molds. Knowing about the local air quality lets patients decide when to stay indoors or avoid certain plants outdoors, if possible. The National Institutes of Health say that, in general, the most likely times to contact the pollens and spores that cause seasonal allergic reactions is between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. Windy days affect some allergen levels and not others. Pollen and mold counts all tend to drop after heavy rains.
Early Warning Symptoms
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, many hay fever sufferers have asthma conditions as well. Because an asthmatic attack can be serious, catching early rhinitis symptoms can give patients time to prevent or treat asthma, as well as to avoid the full extent of their allergy problems. Knowing how their bodies usually first respond to an allergic reaction provides an early warning system for more severe symptoms. The UM Medical Center lists respiratory and eye inflammation signs such as itchy, watery eyes and nose as some of the initial identifiers of allergic rhinitis.
