3 Ways to Identify Different Seasonal Allergies

1. Spring into Sneezing

Although spring is the time of year that has the reputation for bringing about seasonal allergies, it is not the only season that causes sniffles caused by allergens. Seasonal allergies can affect people during the spring, summer or fall months, depending on the type of allergies they have. It is common to be affected by seasonal allergies during more than one season.

With the melting of the ice and snow, comes the beginning of seasonal allergies for one in five Americans, according to researchers. Pollen triggers this allergic reaction as trees begin pollinating as spring begins. Weeds begin pollinating during spring as well, which adds to the amount of allergy-causing pollen in the air. According to physicians, trees that cause especially strong allergic reactions include: ash, hickory, oak, poplar, sycamore, maple, cypress, elm, birch, ash, olive and walnut.

If you begin suffering from sneezing, coughing, itchy, red and water eyes, congestion or sinus pressure during early spring when the environment begins thawing, there is a good chance that you have spring seasonal allergies, or what is commonly called hayfever. Oftentimes, it can be hard to tell if you have a cold or are suffering allergies. One way to tell that its allergies is if your symptoms persist for longer than the seven to ten days it takes to get over the common cold.

2. Summertime Sniffles

Sometimes seasonal allergies can strike just as summer kicks in. Though many people associate the smell of fresh-cut grass as a sign of the season, those with summer seasonal allergies find it incites an onslaught of sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, scratchy skin, hives and other awful reactions. Grass pollen is at its highest in late spring and early summer and can cause much grief for a person with summer seasonal allergies. If you find that you start itching when sitting in the grass or that mowing the lawn or being around a freshly cut one gets you sneezing, coughing, itching and feeling terrible, it could be that you have summer seasonal allergies.

3. Falling Prey to Autumn Allergies

Although people spend most of the summer ridding their lawns of weeds, they can still cause trouble at summer's end -- but not in the way that you might expect. The pollination of weeds during autumn is what triggers fall seasonal allergies. During the late summer and early fall months, one can see dandelion seeds flying all over the place. These seeds cause allergy symptoms to arise in those who have fall-triggered seasonal allergies. Other weeds that can contribute to the problem include ragweed, pigweed, cocklebur and sagebrush.