Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Alabama Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyAlabama is a state with a fairly mild climate that still gets cold enough for a winter frost. That winter frost will help to tamp down allergies when winter rolls around, but other seasonal allergies will be quite prevalent throughout the rest of the year.
Major Alabama cities will always have dust, mold, and pollution to deal with. But indoor allergens can be found just about anywhere. What about Alamaba’s seasonal allergies? Which are the most common, and what can you do to prevent a miserable allergy season?
Wyndly has answers. With a personalized allergy treatment plan, we can help you find long-term relief from your allergy symptoms. Set up your personalized allergy consultation to get started with long-term allergy relief, or read on to learn more about Alabama allergy season.
When Is Alabama Allergy Season?
Alabama allergy season, like most of the United States, runs from early spring to late fall. Alabama can be pretty temperate into early winter, so allergies may persist. Usually outdoor allergies will settle down a bit once the first frost of the year hits. Let’s break down what allergens to look out for each season.
Allergens by Season
Alabama allergies commonly occur in spring, summer, and fall. These are the allergens that are most prominent for each season.
Summer
Grass pollen is the primary allergy during Alabama summers. The biggest contributors include timothy, Johnson, Bermuda, sweet vernal, and orchard. A few weeds also release pollen in summer, including the Russian thistle and English plantain.
Fall
Fall sees ragweed take over as the main antagonist. Ragweed will typically stick around until the first frost. If fall conditions stay mild, you may be in for a longer ragweed pollen season.
Winter
Winter may be a relief for most allergy sufferers in Alabama. With that being said, it doesn’t preclude anyone from having issues with common indoor allergens like dust mites, pet dander, and mold. The extra time you spend indoors may worsen these reactions.
Spring
When winter’s chill melts away and spring is in bloom, trees become a problem for most people. Tree allergies in Alabama are usually caused by juniper, oak, maple, olive, alder, and elder birch.
Common Allergens
In Alabama, you can expect seasonal allergies to be about the same as the rest of the country, meaning grass, trees, and weeds will cause the most issues. Alabama’s diverse plant life and mild climate may cause prolonged allergy seasons for some sufferers.
Common Symptoms
Alabama residents can expect the following allergy symptoms:
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Headaches
- Scratchy throat
- Itchy eyes
- Watery eyes
- Hives
- Asthma symptoms
As always, reactions will vary from person to person, but in general, allergies will cause one or more of these symptoms to occur.
Allergens Around the State
Your allergens may vary based on the region of Alabama you live in. Though it’s not seasonal, the most common allergy found in Alabama is actually peanuts. Other than that, trees, grass, and weeds are as common as ever. Let’s break down allergies by major cities.
Birmingham/Huntsville
The Birmingham/Huntsville area faces several grass, tree, and weed allergies. Juniper, sycamore, and oak trees are especially problematic in spring, and ragweed causes issues in fall.
Montgomery/Tuscaloosa
Montgomery/Tuscaloosa counties deal with the same grass, tree, and weed combination as the rest of the state. Their particular nuisances include oak, cedar, ash, willow, and walnut trees in spring; Bermuda and rye grass in summer; and ragweed in fall.
Dothan/Mobile
The Dothan/Mobile area has a wealth of trees releasing pollen in spring, including oak, mulberry, hickory, willow, ash, and pecan. In summer, Bermuda grass and orchard cause quite a few problems, and ragweed makes another appearance in fall.
Opelika/Auburn
The Opelika/Auburn area welcomes oak, hickory, and ash pollen in the spring; rye and corn grass in the summer; and ragweed and marsh elder in the fall.
Testing and Diagnosis
Alabama’s diverse range of trees, grass, and weed species can make it difficult to find the exact cause of your allergies. If you’re aware of the allergens that are at the root of your issues, it’s easier to take measures to curb or treat the symptoms. The best way to do this is with an allergy test, and the most convenient allergy test is an at-home test from Wyndly. Order an at-home allergy test today to determine your allergy triggers.
Here’s 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, 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
- Order Wyndly’s at-home allergy test. We ship our CLIA-certified test straight to your door.
- 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.
- Receive your allergy profile. Our doctor will interpret your results, create an allergy profile, and walk you through a treatment plan.
Treatment and Remedies
If you have seasonal allergies, you don’t have to put up with them. There are several ways to manage or treat your symptoms.
Limiting Exposure
The first step to reducing your allergy symptoms is to limit your exposure to the allergen that causes you issues. Since pollen is airborne, this can be fairly difficult.
But some measures may help, such as:
- Checking the pollen count: When the pollen count is high, it’s best to stay indoors as much as possible. If you do go outside during these days, wearing a hat, dusk mask, and sunglasses can help reduce your pollen exposure.
- Vacuuming frequently: Pollen is going to get into your home at some point. Vacuuming every week with a HEPA filter can help bring down the amount of pollen in your house.
- Cutting grass and trimming trees: Keeping your grass short and trimming tree branches can reduce the amount of pollen they produce.
- Washing your hair and body: Pollen is sticky, so it’s a good idea to shower thoroughly if you’ve been outside during a day with high pollen.
- Keeping windows closed: Pollen can float in through your windows, so keep them closed as often as you can. A HEPA filter on your A/C will also help prevent pollen from circulating in your home.
- Taking shoes off: When you come inside, taking your shoes off will prevent you from tracking pollen in.
Medications
When limiting exposure isn’t enough to relieve your symptoms, you can try over-the-counter allergy medications. You can find antihistamines, eye drops, nasal sprays, and decongestants at your local pharmacy. You can also ask your doctor about potential prescription options, but these medications only temporarily help with allergy symptoms.
Sublingual Immunotherapy Allergy Drops
Though allergy medications and limiting exposure can help you find short-term relief, they don’t fix the root cause of your allergies. If you’re looking for long-term relief from your symptoms, you may want to consider sublingual immunotherapy allergy drops. These introduce small, gradually increasing doses of your allergen to your immune system, teaching it to ignore these substances and reducing your symptoms over time.
Get Rid of Your Allergies Now
If relief has felt out of reach to you, it’s time to get a consultation with Wyndly. Our doctors will create a personalized treatment plan for you based on your allergy triggers and history. With treatment delivered directly to your door, you can easily experience lifelong relief.
Get your personalized treatment plan today to start the journey to complete relief.
Alabama Allergy FAQs
Still have questions about Alabama allergies? Here are some common questions and answers.
How long is Alabama’s allergy season?
Alabama allergy season begins in early spring and will typically end at first frost.
Why is allergy season so bad in Alabama?
Alabama has a wide range of plant species and a mild climate that allows these plants to thrive.
Is Alabama a good state if you have allergies?
Birmingham frequently ranks high in the worst cities for allergies, and the state of Alabama is generally not friendly to allergy sufferers.
When is the Alabama allergy season?
Depending on what is currently producing pollen, the season is early spring to late fall.
What are the worst months?
The worst months will depend on your allergen. Trees are worse in spring, grass in summer, and weeds in fall.
