5 Tips to Manage Your Ragweed Allergies

As fall season sets in and leaves begin to turn yellow and red in many parts of the country to mark the change of seasons, it’s also a sign of ragweed allergy. 

Though many people might look forward to leaf-peeping season and cooler temps, if you are among the 50 million estimated to be allergic to ragweed, fall might bring a whole other set of problems.

In the United States, ragweed plants, a type of weed that releases billions of light airborne pollen, are found in 49 states — making it practically unavoidable. The pollen typically begins to swarm the air in mid-August and will stick around till late November. And the wind can carry the airborne irritant hundreds of miles. 

While these annoying fall allergens can prove to be the bane of your existence, there are some things you can do to get ahead and better manage your ragweed allergies. 

What are the signs and symptoms of ragweed allergy?

Ragweed can lead to a wide range of allergy symptoms when you come in contact with the pollen.

Ragweed, along with its cousin giant ragweed, will likely have you grabbing for the tissues as you battle itchy eyes, sneezing, a stuffy nose and feeling miserable overall. Ragweed can also cause really bad bouts of asthma for some people. 

“Just being outside can be problematic for a person,” M. Waseem Imam, D.O., an allergist and chief medical officer at Cure Allergy Clinic in Arlington, Texas tells The Messenger.

Plus, ragweed allergy is pretty common, he says. “About a fourth of people who have allergies to anything have allergies to ragweed.” 

How to treat your ragweed allergy 

Over-the-counter allergy medications, such as fluticasone nasal sprays, a type of steroid medication, and antihistamine pills sold by brands, such as Claritin, Allegra or Zyrtec can suppress histamine production in your body. 

Histamine is a type of chemical your body produces in excess when you come in contact with an allergen. It’s what triggers those annoying allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes and sneezing. 

However, the medications work best when you use them ahead of time as a preventative measure, before there’s an uptick in the ragweed pollen count. Moreover, Dr. Imam says you might need to continue using them daily throughout the fall allergy season.

“Start taking those medications early, like every September, and then be prepared to remain on them until usually around Thanksgiving,” Dr. Imam says. 

Allergy immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots or allergy drops, is an effective option too, especially for people with allergy-related asthma, Dr. Imam explains. 

Allergy shots involve getting injections that contain small amounts of ragweed pollen. Over time, the shots can help build tolerance to the allergen and reduce the allergy symptoms. 

Allergy drops, also known as sublingual immunotherapy, are an alternative option to injections in which drugs are placed under the tongue in liquid or tablet form. Allergy drops are taken on a daily basis. 

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, it’s best to start these medications a few months before the start of allergy season. You can also start therapy once fall allergies kickstart, too. 

“Usually, [ragweed allergy] is significant for a lot of people because a person could be wiped out for like two months out of the year,” Dr. Imam says. “Doing immunotherapy is one of the few things that can prevent asthma from occurring.

How you can help prevent ragweed allergies

Avoid eating certain seasonal fruits

For some people with ragweed allergies, eating certain fall fruits, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, bananas or avocados can cause itching, tingling in the mouth and lip swelling.

That’s because ragweed pollen has proteins that look similar to proteins that are found in certain plants and seasonal fruits. This is known as cross-activity. 

“We call that oral allergy syndrome,” Dr. Imam explains. 

“When we eat them, our bodies get confused and cause an allergic reaction to the fruits or vegetables,” he says. “About 40% of people with allergies develop it.”

However, if the fruits are “processed in any way,” they may not be as bothersome. For example, drinking watermelon juice, or eating banana bread might be fine. 

Although consuming these fruits will rarely cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening form of allergic reaction, Dr. Imam says about 2% of people who develop oral allergy syndrome can go on to develop anaphylaxis.

Don’t drag pollen into your home

As ragweed pollen travels far and wide with the wind, it can get into every nook and cranny, including your hair and clothes, and follow you everywhere.

To avoid overexposure to ragweed, Dr. Imam suggests taking measures to not track the pollen back to your home.

“After you've been outside for a period of time, change your clothes before you sit on the couch,” Dr. Imam says. “Keep the windows closed so it doesn't get into the house.”

Take off your shoes and leave them outside before entering the house. And consider wearing a hat

Reduce ragweed exposure

Coming in contact with ragweed is almost unavoidable. This might make going for a morning jog or a walk a miserable and frustrating experience. However, it doesn’t mean you need to stop those activities altogether.  

Plan to venture out when the pollen count is comparatively low, which is usually later in the day. 

“Ragweed usually is a little bit worse in the morning and usually levels in the afternoon. So maybe avoid the morning and then go out later in the day,” Dr. Imam says.

To protect your hair and scalp, he suggests wearing a hat when you step outside. Sunglasses can help keep the pesky pollen out of your eyes.

Keep your home air quality in check

Air purifiers at home can help filter out the air inside your home. This could reduce the amount of pollen and other irritants you breathe in otherwise, and provide some much-needed relief.

Experts recommend picking one that comes with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. They are designed to catch around 99% of the pollen, dust and other airborne particles.

Additionally, if you have HVAC, central heating or air conditioners, it’s important to regularly replace filters every three months, so that they don’t recirculate allergen-filled air inside your home, according to Dr. Imam.