Is there one particular season that’s worse for sneezing?
Not really.  In spring, trees and flowers pollinate sending millions of pollen grains into the air.  Summertime is the grass and weed pollen season.  And, in fall, those with allergies may react to both ragweed and mold.  Winter signals the onset of the indoor allergy season.  The most common indoor nasal allergens are dust mite and cockroach droppings, mold, and animal dander.

Why do you feel better on some days rather than others?
There is a reason for that.  Weather conditions make a difference in the amount of pollen and mold spores that are airborne at any one time.  On those hot, dry, windy days of summer, pollen and mold particles are plentiful, meaning allergy sufferers suffer more.  If you’re an allergy sufferer, you’ll probably feel better on rainy, cloudy, still days when pollen does not move around as much.

Do you know what plants, trees grasses, and weeds to watch out for?
Unfortunately, there are thousands of things that produce airborne allergies.  Pollens can travel 2 miles high and as far as 300 miles, but some pollens are more easily carried off in the air than others.  Watch out for weeds such as ragweed, sagebrush, pigweed, Russion thistle, and cocklebur.  Don’t sit under the oak, elm, birch, ask, hickory, poplar, sycamore, maple cypress, walnut, or western red cedar tree.  Keep off the grass such as timothy, Bermuda, orchard, red top, and sweet vernal.  Unfortunately, many of these trees and grasses call Kershaw County and Columbia their home.

What is the pollen count?
If you are an avid watcher of the Weather Channel, you could be checking the pollen count.  A pollen count measures the number of pollen grains per cubic meter of air collected during a specific time period.  A pollen count reported today, however, is an estimate based upon the pollen in the air yesterday.  Pollen counts are generally higher on hot, sunny days.  The higher the pollen count, the worse a seasonal allergy sufferer will feel.

Did you know there is a fungus among us?
There is and it’s called mold.  Molds, plants in the fungus family, grow anywhere it’s dark and moist.  That can mean on rotting logs, in piles of fallen leaves or compost piles, and on certain grasses, weeds, and grains.  They even grow inside your home.  Damp basements are perfect breeding grounds for mold spores.  An- don’t look now- mold loves shower stalls, refrigerators, houseplants, air conditioners, garbage cans, and mattresses.

What are dust mites?
OK.  So you don’t see any bugs crawling around on your covers, but they’re there!  Dust mites are microscopic insects that live in house dust, under mattresses, and deep down in carpeting.  They feed on dead human skin scales and inhaling their waste products is what causes an allergic reaction.

What about my pet?
You love your dog or cat like they’re part of the family, but your pets could be making you sick.  Animals with hair or feathers are a common source of allergic reactions.  What causes the problem is animal dander (tiny particles animals shed), the saliva on fur he’s licked and shed, and his urine after it dries and particles become airborne.  Allergies to animals could take 2 years, or even longer, to develop and may not end until 6 or more months after your pet has moved on to greener pastures.

What’s in the air and how can I avoid it?
The best way to prevent an allergy attack is to stay away from the substance that triggers a reaction.  But you can’t really eliminate pollen and other airborne allergens from your life altogether.  Do what you can to avoid the things that make your allergies flare, take your allergy medication and help your doctor monitor you condition by visiting his office regularly.