HEADACHE

Allergies cause fluid to build up in the sinuses, putting pressure on the nerves in the area. This can lead to a headache directly above the eyes. The pain is different for each person, and can come on suddenly or gradually.

SLEEPINESS

Fluid in the sinuses puts pressure on the brain, sometimes resulting in fatigue, says Dr. Paul Ehrlich, a pediatric allergist based in New York. Other  reasons for daytime fatigue? A lack of nighttime sleep, caused either by your congested nose which makes it difficult to breathe or a decongestant medication containing pseudoephedrine, which is a stimulant and can keep you awake. Some antihistamines have a sedative effect and can make you feel tired during the day. Finally, hay fever sufferers can become overtired from constantly fighting the body-wide reaction.

IRRITABILITY

Usually caused by that lack of sleep, irritability is an under-recognized but very real
symptom of hay fever, says Vancouver allergist Dr. Donald Stark. Another cause: times of high stress often coincide with the different allergy seasons – and the convergence of the two would make anyone grouchy. For example, students’ final exams in June are at the height of grass pollen season, and back to school in September coincides with the start of ragweed season.

Next page: Aggravated eyes, nose, ears and cheeks

Spring is here: temperatures are rising, trees are blooming and spring fever hangs in the air. But for many people, the season brings on a fever of a different sort – the mad rush to manage tree pollen allergies.

Across America, virile male trees are busily spreading their highly allergenic pollen. The microscopic grains float around like a fog, blanketing some areas with a yellowish-green mist. Even when you can’t see pollen, it’s there, causing up to 40 million Americans to endure itchy eyes, painful congestion, running noses and sleepless nights.

Certain trees are notorious pollinators. Gender also plays a role: male dioecious (separate sexed) trees trigger the worst reactions, although monoecious (dual sexed) aren’t much better. Since avoidance is one of the strategies to fight hay fever, it’s helpful to know which trees are the most allergenic – and where to find them. So grab the road map and an antihistamine; it’s time for Allergic Living’s tour of the worst pollen offenders.

Tree Pollen Allergy Tour: Western States

Juniper trees make spring the sneezing season in Colorado, says Susan Kirkpatrick, a certified pollen counter and an asthma educator with The William Storms Allergy Clinic in Colorado Springs. Poplar, cottonwood, aspen, elm, maple, alder and oak trees bring a parade of unhappy patients into clinics, too.

Finally, Coloradans should also beware the lodgepole pine, says Thomas Ogren, a horticulturist and author of Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping.

In Washington state, it’s the cedar, juniper, alder, birch, poplar and cottonwood trees that bring on hay fever symptoms, says Dr. Frank Virant, who heads the division of allergy at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Also sure to trigger allergies for some western residents are walnut and holly trees.

Down in California, the eucalyptus tree is emerging as a cause of seasonal symptoms –  perhaps no surprise, given its ubiquity. “They say that you can drive from San Francisco to San Diego along the coast and never be out of sight of a eucalyptus tree,” says Ogren.

The silver wattle, almond and casuarinas (also known as beefwood or she-oaks) are some other relatively common allergy-producing trees in the west. Not to mention camphor trees. “The streets of Los Angeles are lined with camphor trees that are 100 years old and they’re gorgeous,” says Ogren. “But the people who live on those streets get quite miserable.”

The allergy prone ought to also be wary of these other California trees: Catalpas (also called stogie trees, as native Indians used to dry the leaves, cut off the ends and smoke them like cigars); bottle brush, whose red flowers resemble baby-bottle brushes; Cryptomeria (also called Japanese cedar, these trees are the No. 1 cause of allergy in Japan, according to Ogren); Cyprus trees; box elder and ash-leaf maple.

Next page: Allergy trees in South Central U.S.

But ragweed sufferers take note: according to François Tardif, an associate professor at the University of Guelph, the new strain won’t have much of an impact on your allergies. “There is so much ragweed out there that the pollen from resistant plants is like a drop in the ocean.”

Rather, farmers are the ones who will suffer the most. This new strain is so resistant that it can easily take over farmers’ fields, wreaking havoc on the harvesting of crops.

Although other herbicides can be used, they are not as effective as glyphosate. Soybean crops are most affected by glysophate-resistant ragweed, which can have a significant impact in the food industry because, as any soy-allergic individual knows: soy and its derivative soy lecithin are found in many packaged foods.

The ragweed in my backyard in the Ottawa Valley waves at me smugly every morning. It has formed a towering wall along the back corner of the small meadow we’ve let flourish as an environmental gesture. All the other wildflowers in the meadow co-exist happily, but the ragweed, which characteristically found a toehold in the least promising soil, has now started to elbow its way toward to the front. Unfortunately, its braggadocio is well-founded.

Not only is ragweed an aggressive competitor, it is an able procreator that produces pollen of unrivaled allergic potency. Its pollen triggers reactions in up to 75 per cent of hay fever sufferers, depending on where they live in North America, making this one weed to be reckoned with.

Operation Proliferate

The tens of millions of Americans who now suffer from ragweed allergies can thank Canada for their misery. Common ragweed’s likely point of origin in North America was Ontario, according to Dr. Peter Creticos, clinical director of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. He jokingly calls ragweed “Canada’s gift to the colonies,” referring to the plant’s ability to dump hundreds of thousand of tons of dust-like pollen across up to 1,000 kilometres of the continent every year.

Now ragweed can be found all across eastern and central Canada and the United States, though there is thankfully little of it west of the Rockies. The crown-shaped seeds are highly mobile and have even deployed overseas, particularly near existing and former Canadian and U.S. military bases in Western Europe.

Creticos suspects the seeds hitched a ride on equipment shipped from North America during and after the wars, then launched a horticultural offensive into Eastern Europe, where it now enjoys a strong presence. For allergy sufferers, misery loves company.

Flourishing on the Farm

Back in North America, common ragweed and its big brother, giant ragweed, are causing havoc in the crop farming sector. Clarence Swanton, a University of Guelph professor and weed scientist, says ragweed grows well along roadsides and train tracks, but really loves the rich, loosely tilled soil of corn, soybean and cereal crop fields.

“Ragweed seedlings emerge early and therefore are very competitive with the crop for light, water and nutrients,” he says. Swanton estimates bean crop losses in Ontario alone range from 8 to 30 per cent, representing millions of dollars annually.

The Ontario government’s chief of weed control, Mike Cowbrough, says uncontrolled ragweed can cause yield losses of up to 80 per cent in some operations – a financial disaster for farmers. He says ragweed is one of the toughest weeds to control: it takes repeated mowings to prevent the plant from blossoming, its seeds can remain dormant for up to 50 years, and several strains have become resistant to traditional herbicides.

In the United States especially, some ragweed has even become immune to glyphosate (known in the retail sector as Roundup), once thought to be the magic bullet for weed control.

Frustrated farmers with glyphosate-resistant ragweed are creating herbicidal blends, incorporating older herbicides like 2,4-D and dicamba in hopes that their ragweed is not resistant to those mixtures. But farmers who market organic produce are in a conundrum, since herbicides are a no-no. Control often has to be done mechanically with a cultivator, which can speed soil erosion, or even manually.

Soybean farmers must also contend with ragweed’s staining quality, which can turn the pristine white soybean – and the tofu it’s used to make – to an unappealing shade of green.

Next Page: The Problem Grows

• America’s Trees of Allergies - Allergic Living‘s field guide to U.S. tree pollen allergies.
• The Trees of Sneeze - Allergic Living‘s field guide to Canadian pollen allergies.
• Hay Fever Handbook - Everything you’ll need to know about managing Spring allergies.
• All About Eye Allergies – Weeping, itching and rubbing. How do you find relief?
• Gardening with Allergies – Great tips; plants to look for.
• Gardening with Allergies - Plants to avoid.
• Oral Allergy Syndrome – Science of tree pollen cross-reactions with food.
• Tree pollen, fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices – What can react with what.
• A Life with Fruit Allergies – What you can and can’t eat with Oral Allergy Syndrome.
• Spring’s Hidden Toll – “hay fever” is more insidious than it sounds.
• Beat the Pollen - Allergic Living‘s 10 ways to beat pollen.

Summer

• Grass Allergy - All about symptoms, coping and medications.
• Grass Pollen cross-reactions.
• Oral Allergy Syndrome - Science of tree and grass pollen cross-reactions with food.
• A Life with Fruit Allergies – What you can and can’t eat with Oral Allergy Syndrome.
• First Person: Summertime, and the Eating Ain’t Easy
• Gardening with Allergies - Includes plants to look for.
• Gardening with Allergies – Plants to avoid.
• Beat the Pollen - Allergic Living‘s 10 ways to beat pollen.
• Stinging Insect Allergies - The troublemakers and when to worry about a reaction.

Fall

• Ragweed Allergy – How to get a grip on it and prevent fall misery.
• Ragweed Allergy – Why the dastardly allergen is so potent and widespread.
• Ragweed Cross-Reactions – To vegetables and fruits.
• Editor’s Blog “Ode to Ragweed”.
• Guide to Fall Allergies - The season’s biggest offenders; tips to gain control.
• All About Eye Allergies – Weeping, itching and rubbing. How do you find relief?
• Stinging Insect Allergies - The troublemakers; how to spot a serious reaction.
• Oral Allergy Syndrome - Pollen and fruit cross-reactions.
• Mold- and Pollen-proofing

See Also:

• Allergy-Proofing Your House.
• Pet Allergies.

Grass allergy is one of the most common pollen allergies, up there with the birch tree and ragweed. In the central and northern United States and Canada, grass generally pollinates in May, June and July.

If the Kleenex box is your constant companion during these months, chances are, you find trouble in the turf.

SYMPTOMS

As with all pollen allergies, those who react to grass suffer from allergic rhinitis, commonly know as hay fever. Typically you’ll sneeze, feel congestion and have itchy eyes and noses. The symptoms may not be as severe as they are for tree pollen allergy or ragweed allergy, because the pollen counts often aren’t as high. On the down side, grasses pollinate for a longer period of time, so you’re bound to have many uncomfortable days.

Those contending with a grass allergy also tend to have more symptoms of conjunctivitis – that is, itchy, watery eyes – than those with tree or ragweed allergy, according to Dr. Harold Kim, an allergist based in Kitchener, Ontario and an assistant professor in the department of clinical immunology and allergy at McMaster University.

“It’s also more likely that they get swelling of the tissues around the eyes,” he says.

Although symptoms are usually limited to the nose and eyes, some who are severely allergic to grass and will get hives upon contact with its pollen. In the most dangerous cases, they can experience a reaction that is close to anaphylaxis.

“I’ve seen it a couple of times,” says Dr. Donald Stark, a Vancouver allergist. “They fall and they try to get the soccer ball, or in baseball, they’re sliding through the grass. That can cause contact hives, and I’ve actually seen almost anaphylactic reactions because they get enough antigen absorbed through the scraped skin.”

If you’ve had such a reaction, Stark recommends asking your allergist to prescribe an epinephrine auto-injector.

Next: How to cope with grass allergy

If you know you have allergies, but don’t know to which plants or trees, visit an allergist for testing. Once your specific allergies have been diagnosed, you’ll know what to eliminate from your garden plans. Next, research the allergenicity of plants. “Read everything on the subject you can find,” advises Thomas Leo Ogren, author of the definitive Allergy-Free Gardening and an expert on horticulture and allergies. “Go on the Internet and read articles, read books, learn as much as possible.”

There are several factors that determine how much a given plant will affect someone predisposed to pollen allergy. These include the sex of the plant, size, shape and colour of the flower, how the plant is pollinated (by wind or insects) and what the pollen itself is like.

Pollen and Pollination

The size and shape of a plant’s pollen can dictate its allergenicity. So does its means of getting from one plant to another. Wind pollination requires light pollen – and lots of it – that can travel great distances. This is the troublesome kind because it is abundant, easily inhaled and likely to cause allergic reactions. Flowers that depend on bees, wasps, butterflies, moths and beetles for collection and dispersal of pollen tend to produce heavy, sticky grains that are somewhat airborne. A good rule is to avoid all wind-pollinated plants, unless there are female versions available.

Plant Gender

Head to plants with bigger, brighter blooms. “Go for flowers with bright colours and as many petals as possible,” says Ogren. The showier flowers tend to be insect pollinated, and the shape of the bloom will also play a part. If the pollen is buried deep inside the flower, it will be less likely to blow away on the wind and into your nose. Stalwart examples of low-pollen summer flowers include pansies, violets, hydrangeas, gladiolus and fucshia, to name a few.

Be careful with heavily scented blooms, which can trigger attacks in asthmatics. This is especially important when choosing roses, which are often prized for their scent as much as their beauty.

Annuals are a great way to add yard colour, and many aren’t triggers for allergies unless planted in large clusters. Some of the better choices are: impatiens, petunias, sweet pea and foxglove.

Shrubs, Trees

“I would not buy and plant anything that lives a long time, any tree or shrub, unless I had a very good idea of what it’s allergy potential was,” says Ogren. “Don’t buy any that are seedless, fruitless or podless since they are probably males and will make lots of pollen.” Look for shrubs and trees with berries or fruit rather than flowers – they’ll be female.

Grass

We love our lush lawns, but grass is the most common, persistent allergy offender. In fact, it can cause reactions even if it’s not the allergen because pollen, dust, mould, and insects and their droppings get trapped in the lawn, and then disturbed when you mow. The best option is to avoid laying sod altogether. Stylish, modern gardens are often a mix of stone pathways and flower beds.

If you must have a patch of green, weekly mowing is key. This will keep the grass from flowering and producing pollen, and provide less of a harbour for other allergens. Using a push mower also disturbs allergens less. Be sure to clean up clippings promptly to avoid mould growth. Better yet, have a non-allergic person mow the lawn.

Mold Allergens

“The worst molds in the garden are caused by insects on buggy plants,” says Ogren. Unhealthy plants should be replaced, and the others fertilized regularly to keep them healthy. Rake up leaves in the fall and avoid overwatering, which can create a perfect damp environment for mold to flourish.

The Uncontrollable

Whether it’s a towering tree you can’t cut down, pollen floating in from miles away or what your neighbors have planted next door, there will be some things beyond your control. But, there is much about your outdoor space that you can determine. With some research and planning, you, too, can get digging.

Next Page: Allergy-Friendly Plants to Look For

When Ken Hegan traveled to Vancouver a couple of years ago, the city was experiencing one of its warmest Februaries on record, and the trees began showering unwitting visitors with an early blast of pollen. “It felt like my eyes were being assaulted by pollen,” says Hegan.

The filmmaker and humor writer recalls his eyes were red and teary, and this year he’s bracing for the same back home in Toronto.

“Sometimes I wake up and my eyes are caked shut. And when I walk my dog in the morning, I look like I’m crying. My neighbors just think I’m some sad sack guy who cries all the time,” Hegan says with a laugh.

Like millions of fellow allergy sufferers, Hegan’s eyes itch, burn, swell and redden every pollen season, and his vision blurs because of the non-stop tearing. (Others can get such eye symptoms from allergy triggers such as pet dander, mold and dust mites.)

As an avid cyclist, Hegan even fears red lights because when he stops moving, his baby blues well up – and the itch kicks in. “I’m always knuckling away at my eyes. I know I’m not supposed to, but my mom’s not there to tell me to stop,” he jokes.

Despite their mothers’ admonitions to quit that knuckling, people with allergic conjunctivitis – the inflammation of the membrane that covers the white of the eye and the inner eyelid – find that easier said than done.

Pollens’ Chemical Cascade in the Eye

The fact is, they are faced with an annoying and uncomfortable reaction that occurs when pollens or other allergens enter the eye and trigger the same allergic chemical cascade that can occur in the lungs, the nose or on the skin.

Canadian allergist Dr. Harold Kim has a strong interest in eye allergy symptoms. He explains that allergic patients’ eyes contain cells – mostly mast cells – that are primed for allergen exposure. When confronted with the allergen, antibodies called IgE will cause the mast cells to rupture and release chemicals including histamine, one of the main culprits behind the inflammatory response in the eye and surrounding tissues.

For most patients, the resulting symptoms are an annoyance. But the results can be much more serious, especially for those who experience swelling of the conjunctiva itself.

“It looks almost like jelly,” says Kim, who himself suffers from mild eye symptoms during allergy season. “It’s not vision-impairing, but it’s very irritating.”

However, in the most severe cases, the cornea itself can be affected if people don’t resist the temptation to rub and scratch.

“The mechanism is not completely known, but it may be partly from inflammation and partly from scratching, and that can be vision-impairing,” Kim warns. “So those patients should see an opthalmologist and be treated relatively aggressively.”

Next: Eye Allergies: Contact Lenses and the Role of the Nose

2. Keep your windows closed, especially during the day. Use an air conditioner instead.

3. Don’t hang laundry outside to dry. It will collect pollen.

4. Wash your hands and other exposed skin when you come inside, and shower before going to bed to rinse pollen from your skin and hair.

5. Don’t just tough it out, medications can help. Allergists often recommend non-sedating antihistamines and decongestants. Nasal rinse products are also useful. For longer-term symptoms: non-sedating antihistamines with prescription nasal-steroid sprays and/or prescription eye drops.

6. Invest in a vacuum with a certified HEPA filter, and vacuum often. Also wipe with a damp cloth rather than sweeping.

7. If you have a pet, wipe down its fur, which gets laden with pollen, before it comes inside. Also avoid cuddling against its fur in this season.

8. If grass pollen is a problem, have someone else mow your lawn.

9. If you have asthma, make sure you’re taking the proper level of medications. Pollen is a common trigger for asthma symptoms and attacks. Asthma action plans may need adjusting in pollen season.

10. Consider seeing your allergist to discuss immunotherapy shots. If you’re having trouble controlling symptoms by reducing pollen exposure and medications, you may be a candidate for shots that will increase your immune system’s tolerance to the allergens.

*Adapted from Allergic Living’s Hay fever Handbook

© Copyright AGW Publishing Inc.