The summer is a season to relax and enjoy. Students are on vacation. Many families have vacation plans. The days are longer, inviting everyone to spend a little more time outdoors. However, the summer can also be a time when people suffer from serious allergies.
Allergic reactions can lead to annoying, cold-like symptoms like a runny nose and itchy eyes. These symptoms may make sleep difficult, taking away from the summer fun. For people with asthma concerns, allergies can trigger bouts of wheezing and coughing that make it difficult to breathe.
Sources of Summer Allergies
Depending on where you are in the country, the summer can bring its own unique set of allergens.
Environmental Allergies
Outside, the rains have washed away the tree pollen that created so many problems in springtime. However, now it is time for new pollen sources. While there are different flowers that bloom in the summer months, the most common pollen problems come from grasses. As the summer sun dries out these common plants, they release their pollen grains into the air. When you breathe them in, your body treats them as foreign invaders, revving up your immune system, which causes your allergy symptoms.
Inside, there are different sources of allergens. In much of the country, the summer is a time of high humidity. This means it is also a time for mold growth in your home. The bathroom, kitchen, and basement are areas of special concern. The humidity also favors another common allergen source, dust mites. These tiny creatures live off the skin cells that humans shed all the time. They also produce small particles that get into the atmosphere and cause allergic reactions.
If you want to know more about your environmental allergies, especially if your symptoms disrupt your summer, you can be tested at the Bernstein Allergy Group. A skin test can identify common culprits. Allergy shots can desensitize your immune system so that your reaction is not as strong.
Insect Allergies
The summer is a time when many biting and stinging insects are active. Throughout the summer, bees will be flying from flower to flower. Wasps and Hornets will build their nests. For most people, a sting from one of these insects is a painful warning that they have gotten too close. For people who have insect venom allergies, the small amount of venom delivered with each sting can cause a severe reaction.
The Bernstein Allergy Group provides insect venom testing. They also have insect venom-specific allergy shots that can make the summer safer. If you have been diagnosed with a venom allergy, you should make sure to carry an epinephrine auto-injector for safety’s sake.
Contact Allergies
In many regions of the country, the summer also brings poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Although these plants differ in size and shape, they all produce urushiol oil. When your skin comes in contact with the leaves and roots of these plants, the oil can cause an itchy rash that lasts for days. The best advice for avoiding this allergic reaction is to learn to identify the plant and keep away.
If you have summer allergy or asthma concerns, contact the Bernstein Allergy Group today for an appointment.
