Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Arkansas Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyArkansas is a Southern state known for its hot springs, hiking, and caves. The state also has its fair share of plant species that produce pollen throughout the spring, summer, and fall. This makes Arkansas less than ideal for allergy sufferers. If you have Arkansas allergies, there are solutions for managing and treating your symptoms.
Wyndly’s doctors provide personalized physician care for your Arkansas allergies. Get your allergy consultation set up today, and read on to learn more about Arkansas allergy season.
When Is Arkansas Allergy Season?
Arkansas has a typical allergy season that runs from early spring to late fall. The mild winters mean that allergy season can sometimes run a bit long, but it’s not by a significant margin. Typically, residents can expect the allergy season to start in February and go until November.
Allergens by Season
Depending on what time of year it is, Arkansas residents may experience different pollen allergies. Let’s take a look at the allergies by season.
Summer
Grass allergy season starts in early summer for Arkansas residents. Sometimes it may begin as early as spring, with some species producing pollen in late April or May. Grass allergens to watch out for include ryegrass and Bermuda, fescue, orchard, and bent grasses. This season will usually end by late July.
Fall
Weed allergies will start up in fall, usually around mid-August and peaking in September. The main weed allergens to watch out for in Arkansas are ragweed, pigweed, and amaranth. This season usually ends after the first hard frost of winter.
Winter
Winter should provide Arkansas residents with a respite from their seasonal allergies. Indoor allergens can still be a problem, though, with the main offenders being dust mites, mold, cockroaches, and pet dander.
Spring
Spring is tree allergy season in Arkansas. For most residents, this will be the worst allergy season. It usually begins in late February and goes until May. Common tree allergies in Arkansas are from oak, hickory, walnut, willow, privet, cedar, ash, and mulberry.
Common Allergens
If you have seasonal allergies in Arkansas, they’re likely due to grass, weed, or tree pollen. Indoor allergies from mold, cockroaches, dust mites, and pet dander are also common.
Common Symptoms
Arkansas residents can expect the following allergy symptoms:
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Headaches
- Scratchy throat
- Itchy eyes
- Watery eyes
- Hives
- Aggravated 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
Depending on which region of Arkansas you live in, pollen allergies can vary. Let’s take a look at the different regions and the pollen allergies they have.
Bentonville/Fayetteville/Mountain Home/Fort Smith/Russellville
The Bentonville, Fayetteville, Mountain Home, Fort Smith, and Russellville areas deal with spring tree allergies from juniper, oak, hickory, maple, cedar, ash, walnut, and willow pollen. Summer grass allergens include ryegrass and Bermuda, fescue, timothy, bent, and orchard grasses. Fall weed allergy triggers include marsh elder, ragweed, wormwood, amaranth, and sagebrush.
Little Rock/Pine Bluff/Hot Springs
The Little Rock, Pine Bluff, and Hot Springs regions have spring tree allergies from oak, hickory, privet, ash, walnut, maple, mulberry, and willow. Summer grass allergens include ryegrass and Bermuda, fescue, bent, and orchard grasses. Fall weed allergy triggers include ragweed and amaranth.
Jonesboro/Searcy/Forrest City
The Jonesboro, Searcy, and Forrest City areas have spring tree allergies from hickory, oak, walnut, ash, and maple trees. Summer grass allergens include ryegrass and Bermuda, bent, timothy, and orchard grasses. Fall weed allergy triggers include marsh elder, ragweed, sagebrush, and amaranth.
Testing and Diagnosis
If you do have seasonal allergies, determining the cause of your symptoms isn’t an easy task. Pollen seasons often overlap, and there can be multiple pollen types in the air at any given time. Indoor allergies are another factor that needs to be considered. An allergy test can clear things up and reveal the source of your allergies. Wyndly makes allergy testing simple with our at-home allergy tests. Get your at-home allergy test from Wyndly today.
Let’s take a look at some of the different allergy testing options.
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
- 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 personal allergy profile. Our doctor will interpret your results, create an allergy profile, and walk you through your personalized treatment plan.
Treatment and Remedies
Those with Arkansas allergies can find relief by limiting exposure to allergens, taking allergy medications, or pursuing allergy treatment. Let’s take a look at some of these options.
Limiting Exposure
If it’s possible, you should limit your exposure to your allergens. There are several ways you can do that.
- Check the pollen count: The pollen count can tell you the concentration of pollen in your area. If the pollen count is high for your allergen, you may want to stay inside as much as possible.
- Clean your house: When it’s allergy season, you should try to vacuum and dust more frequently to get rid of pollen. A HEPA filter vacuum will be the most effective solution, and it’s a good idea to dust with a wet rag.
- Rinse off in the shower: After you’ve been outside, rinsing off in the shower can get the pollen off your hair and skin. Washing your hands and face well can be a quick substitute for showering.
- Do the laundry: Pollen can stick to your clothes, so you’ll want to do laundry more frequently during allergy season to keep them clean.
- Remove your shoes: Remember to take off your shoes when you get home so you don’t bring in any pollen.
- Mow the lawn, trim trees, and remove weeds: You can reduce pollen around your home by keeping grass short, trimming tree branches, and pulling weeds.
Medications
Limiting your exposure can be helpful, but it might not provide enough relief when pollen levels are high and allergy season is reaching its peak. Over-the-counter allergy medications can be very useful for providing short-term relief. There are several options for over-the-counter allergy medications, including antihistamines, nasal corticosteroids, eye drops, and decongestants.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
Limiting your exposure and taking allergy medication can provide short-term relief and help you get through allergy season. However, these aren’t treatments for allergies. If you want to treat your allergies and find lifelong relief, sublingual immunotherapy is a great solution. Sublingual immunotherapy uses small, gradually increasing doses of your allergen to retrain your immune system to ignore or tolerate these substances. Sublingual immunotherapy uses drops or tablets instead of needles and can be taken at home. It’s a safe and highly effective alternative to the less convenient allergy shots.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
If you want long-term relief from your Arkansas allergies, Wyndly is your solution. Our doctors can put together a personalized treatment plan based on your allergy profile and history.
Take our easy 2-minute online assessment to see if Wyndly is right for you!
Arkansas Allergy FAQs
We have answers to some frequently asked questions about Arkansas allergies.
How long is Arkansas’ allergy season?
Arkansas has a typical allergy season that starts in spring and ends in fall.
Is allergy season bad in Arkansas?
Arkansas allergy season can be fairly bad, especially in spring.
Is Arkansas a good state if you have allergies?
There are worse states for allergies, but Arkansas wouldn’t be considered a great state for allergy sufferers.
When is the Arkansas allergy season?
Arkansas allergy season usually starts in late February and ends after the first hard frost of winter.
What are the worst months?
The worst months for Arkansas allergies are April, May, and September.
