Well, we couldn't avoid it forever. According to the Allergy Associates of La Crosse, get ready for some severe allergens that have already taken flight over the past couple of weeks.
Ragweed appears in late July and August, peaks in mid September and continues to affect sufferers until the first frost hits. It's a prolific producer of pollen. In fact, so productive, one ragweed plant can produce as many as 1 billion grains of pollen in a season! No wonder why you feel like you can never escape it.
Besides the sheer number of particles in the air, it's also difficult to escape ragweed because it grows in many places around the United States. Its versatile nature allows it to establish itself in a variety of climates, although it's most abundant in the east and Midwest portion of the U.S.
While there is no cure for ragweed allergies, there are many ways you can curtail its effects. Allergist Nikhila Schroeder, of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, recommends immunotherapy as a treatment. "One of the treatments we offer is more long-term, trying to minimize your actual allergy, which is Immunotherapy and so that gets not just symptoms but at the underlying cause and tries to change that."
Immunotherapy is the process of injecting an allergen you're allergic to into your body so your body can get used to it. If you'd rather not try this process, you can manage your allergies by upgrading your home's defenses. By this we mean, purchasing improved air conditioners, cleaning more frequently and keeping windows closed during peak hours of the day.
