Pollen And Snow Mold -The Usual Culprits For Spring Allergy Sufferers

As the snow melts and winter turns to spring, everyone on the block gets out their hand shovels, weed whackers and lawn chairs. Well, they also better get out the tissues and eye drops too. It’s hay fever season!

Hay fever actually refers to the allergy to pollen, a very common allergy. Approximately one in six people in Canada suffer from bouts of sneezing and bloodshot eyes in the spring and summer months. Pollen comes with all forms of plant life - trees, grass, flowers - and is nearly impossible to avoid while having springtime fun both around and away from home.

Symptoms often mimic ones shared with the common cold - sneezing, runny nose, red and watery eyes. And like any other allergy, pollen allergies are caused by the immune system incorrectly interpreting something - pollen in this case - as a foreign threat, similar to people with peanut allergies. Treatments for this allergy are not always particularly favourable, such as (often experimental) allergy shots, keeping windows closed, or just not going outside.

Snow mold allergies are labelled as a subset of hay fever, as they often show very similar symptoms and occur in the same timeframe, but they can also be a major culprit in the nasal congestion category of springtime blues. Snow mold is a type of fungus, left behind the most when snowfall is heavy and persistent. As the snow melts away for spring, the fungus hardens and wreaks havoc on those who suffer from hay fever. Again, the quick melting of the snow adds to these symptoms, giving both the body and the individual little to no reaction time to prepare for the upcoming attack on the immune system.

Snow mold allergies and pollen allergies are the two main culprits of spring sniffles, with around eleven species of trees letting off enormous amount of pollen with every change from cold to warm. As well, there are types of mold (not just snow mold) that can appear inside houses as the weather changes, making staying inside an ineffective way to prevent the symptoms of spring allergies. This can make spring absolutely miserable for the unfortunate people with these allergies, but the misery doesn’t end there.

Windy days can cause pollen to be blown around much more, as well as stirring up dust and mold. This increases the symptoms, as well as perhaps even igniting some symptoms in those who don’t suffer from allergies. However, there are clear skies ahead. Or, perhaps, cloudy skies. Rain can weigh pollen down, stopping it from staying in the air and letting people breathe in the allergens.

But what does this have to do with weather? Well, in a lot of places in Canada, the weather changes very quickly, often at the “drop of the hat”. Come spring, the very quick changes can contribute to the negative reaction from the immune system. So many different triggers coming in a very short period of time is a recipe for sneezing and misery. These same quick, unpredictable, and wild weather changes open the door for other weather-related allergies as well.

IW Guest Contributor (Jay W.)

References:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/seasonal-allergies-something-to-sneeze-at-1.930532

https://medlineplus.gov/hayfever.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/allergies-in-spring-snow-mould-may-be-to-blame-1.3001356

https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/allergy/most-common-spring-allergies/

https://weather.com/health/news/surprising-things-trigger-allergy-symptoms-20140910#/