Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Sheep Sorrel Allergies for 2024

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Sheep sorrel is a short, invasive weed that can be found throughout the United States. Though these plants are small, rarely growing more than a foot, they can produce a lot of pollen. A single sheep sorrel plant can produce as many as 400 million pollen grains.

If you’re allergic to sheep sorrel, there are ways to manage and treat your symptoms, and Wyndly can help. Schedule an allergy consultation with Wyndly today, and read on to learn more about sheep sorrel allergies.

What Is a Sheep Sorrel Allergy?

If you’re allergic to sheep sorrel, your immune system is attacking the sheep sorrel weed pollen that you breathe in. Sometimes our immune system mistakes harmless substances like pollen for invaders, so it releases antibodies and chemicals like histamine to fight them off. This immune response causes us to sneeze, have a runny nose, get itchy eyes, cough, and experience other allergy symptoms.

Common Symptoms

If you have sheep sorrel allergies, you will likely experience one or more common allergy symptoms during sheep sorrel season.

Here are some of the symptoms caused by sheep sorrel allergies:

  • Runny nose
  • Coughing
  • Congestion
  • Sneezing
  • Headaches
  • Scratchy throat
  • Itchy eyes
  • Watery eyes
  • Allergic rash
  • Aggravated symptoms if you have asthma

If you have an allergy to sheep sorrel, your allergy symptoms will be rearing their ugly heads during sheep sorrel allergy season in your area. When the season is peaking and pollen levels are high, your allergies may get even worse.

Where Is Sheep Sorrel Found?

Sheep sorrel can be found across the United States and can survive in nearly any U.S. climate. You can commonly find the weeds in ditches, gravel, pastures, roadsides, grasslands, yards, and other places. The pollen is wind-borne and can travel easily, so it’s hard to avoid if you have sheep sorrel allergies.

U.S. Allergen Zone Map

When Is Sheep Sorrel Pollen Allergy Season?

Sheep sorrel has an irregular season for a weed. Unlike most weed species, sheep sorrel allergy is in the spring instead of the fall. Typically the season will start in April, peak in May, and taper off in the summer. Depending on the climate and elevation, the allergy season may extend into the summer months.

Testing and Diagnosis

During allergy season, there are a variety of different types of pollen in the air. One or more of these could be causing your allergies, but it’s very difficult to self-diagnose which pollen is the source. Plus, there are also indoor allergies to consider. Instead of guessing what might be causing your allergies, it’s much easier to take an allergy test to know for sure. With an at-home allergy test, you can find out your allergies without having to go to the doctor and sit through uncomfortable tests. Order your at-home allergy test from Wyndly today!

Let’s look at how different allergy testing options work.

Old-Fashioned Method: Skin Prick Test at Your Doctor’s Office

Skin prick testing requires you to go to the doctor to find out your allergen triggers. It’s often uncomfortable, and it takes time out of your day. You’ll go to the doctor’s office, and they’ll administer a test where they prick or scrape your skin with a needle tipped with different allergens, and then they’ll observe the areas they pricked for itchiness, redness, or swelling. All in all, it’s not a pleasant experience. Instead, you can save yourself time and pain by getting an at-home test.

Modern and Efficient At-Home Method

  1. Order Wyndly’s at-home allergy test. We ship our CLIA-certified test straight to your door.
  2. Take the allergy test and send it back to us. Just do a quick finger prick test to provide us with a blood sample and mail it back when you’re done.
  3. Receive your personal allergy profile. Our doctor will interpret your results, create an allergy profile, and walk you through your personalized treatment plan.

Unlike self-diagnosis, an allergy test can reveal the full breadth of your allergies. This way you know exactly what you’re allergic to and how you can treat your symptoms.

Treatment and Remedies

If you have sheep sorrel allergies, there are various ways to find relief through remedies or treatments. There are several steps you can take if you need relief from your sheep sorrel allergy symptoms.

Limiting Exposure

A good way to reduce your allergy symptoms is to limit your exposure to sheep sorrel. Because sheep sorrel has airborne pollen, it can sometimes be hard to avoid completely. However, you can take some of the following measures to keep your exposure to a minimum.

  • Look at the pollen count: Using a website or app, you can check the daily pollen count during sheep sorrel allergy season. If the pollen levels are high, you may want to stay indoors. At the very least, it would be a good idea to wear a mask if you do go outside.
  • Watch out for peak hours: Weed pollen usually peaks in the morning, so it’s best to go outside in the late afternoon or evening hours to avoid exposure.
  • Clean your house frequently: During allergy season, pollen is going to get in your house one way or another. To keep pollen in your home to a minimum, you’ll want to vacuum often with a HEPA filter vacuum and dust surfaces with a wet rag.
  • Use a HEPA filter: Speaking of HEPA filters, installing a HEPA filter on your HVAC system and using a dehumidifier can help reduce allergens in your home.
  • Keep the windows closed: While it’s nice to keep your windows open when the weather is good, you’ll want to shut them during allergy season to prevent pollen from getting in.
  • Take more showers: It can be helpful to take a shower after being outside during allergy season. This rinses off the pollen from your skin and hair. For a quick alternative, you can wash your hands and face well.
  • Do laundry often: Do laundry more frequently during allergy season so you can get pollen off your clothes.
  • Take your shoes off when you get home: Make sure you don’t track in pollen by taking your shoes off before going in the house.

Medications

Allergy season can get tough, even if you’re limiting your exposure. Many individuals will need the additional support of allergy medication for short-term relief. There are a few options you might consider.

  • Over-the-counter: Most allergy medications will be found over the counter (OTC). Here are some of the most common options.
    • Antihistamines: Antihistamines help relieve a variety of allergy symptoms by temporarily inhibiting the production of histamine.
    • Nasal sprays: Nasal sprays reduce swelling in the nasal passages, helping to reduce runny or stuffy nose symptoms. You may also consider decongestants to help with this.
    • Eye drops: Eye drops can help relieve itchy and red eyes by flushing pollen out.
  • Prescription: If OTC allergy medications aren’t providing you with any relief, you may want to consider prescription options. You’ll need to consult your doctor about prescription allergy meds.

Sublingual Immunotherapy

Limiting your exposure and taking allergy medication is the best way to manage your allergies and find short-term relief from your symptoms. If you want to treat your allergies at the source and find lifelong relief, you’ll want to look into sublingual immunotherapy. Sublingual immunotherapy uses under-the-tongue drops or tablets to introduce small doses of your allergen to your system. This retrains your immune system to ignore or tolerate allergen substances instead of causing an immune response. Sublingual immunotherapy is a safe and effective at-home alternative to allergy shots, which require needles and a doctor’s visit for each dose.

Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly

If you’re wanting to find lifelong relief from sheep sorrel allergies, consider using Wyndly. Wyndly’s doctors will design a personalized allergy treatment plan for you based on your allergy profile. Wyndly makes sublingual immunotherapy easily accessible by sending doses straight to your doorstep if you’re an eligible candidate.

If you’re ready to live life allergy-free, schedule your allergy consultation with Wyndly today!

Sheep Sorrel Allergy FAQs

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about sheep sorrel.

Can sheep sorrel be found in every state?

Yes, sheep sorrel has been observed in every state in the U.S. The hardiness of the plant and the huge volume of pollen produced ensures this plant spreads easily throughout the country. These weeds are invasive, and it’s a good idea to remove them from your yard and landscaping if you happen to find them.

Can a sheep sorrel allergy be fatal?

It’s rare for a pollen allergy to be fatal. Typically, pollen allergies just trigger an immune response that leads to common allergy symptoms. However, if you have asthma and sorrel allergies, the pollen may aggravate your asthma and cause an asthma attack. So you may want to make sure your inhaler is handy during allergy season.

Should I wear an N95 mask when it’s sheep sorrel allergy season?

Wearing an N95 mask can be very helpful if you’re trying to reduce your exposure to sheep sorrel pollen. When the pollen count is high during allergy season, wearing an N95 mask outside can reduce the pollen you breathe in, helping to prevent symptoms.

Can I get rid of sheep sorrel around my house?

It can be helpful to kill weeds around your yard with natural herbicides. This may reduce overall pollen levels around your home, but keep in mind that it won’t eliminate the chance of exposure completely. Airborne weed pollen can travel for miles, so if you have sheep sorrel in your area, you’re likely going to be exposed in some capacity.

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