Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Delaware Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyDelaware is known for its scenic nature, mid-Atlantic beaches, and cities like Dover and Wilmington. However, it’s not known for being a friend to allergy sufferers. As with many nearby states, Delaware can have a pretty miserable allergy season, especially in spring. The long growing season, mild climate, and heavy rainfall all make for perfect allergy conditions.
If you’re a Delaware resident, there are treatment options for your allergies. Wyndly can help with a personalized allergy treatment plan based on your allergy profile. Schedule your allergy consultation today to get started, or read on to learn more about Delaware allergies.
When Is Delaware Allergy Season?
Delaware allergy season is pretty long since the winters can be fairly mild. This means that allergy season can start as early as February and go until November — sometimes even longer if the weather is mild enough. Delaware residents can still expect a winter break from allergies, but it likely won’t be a long one.
Allergens by Season
Allergies will peak during Delaware’s spring, summer, and fall. Here are the chief allergies in each of Delaware’s seasons.
Summer
Summer is grass allergy season in Delaware. The worst offenders include ryegrass and bent, fescue, timothy, sweet vernal, and prairie grasses. This season will usually start in May and taper off in July.
Fall
Fall is weed allergy season for Delaware. Ragweed is one of the worst allergens, with pigweed, wormwood, and amaranth also contributing to pollen levels. This season can start in August and go well into November.
Winter
Winters in Delaware are relatively mild and short, but when temperatures dip below freezing, residents can expect a brief respite from seasonal allergies. Remember that indoor allergens like dust, mold, and pet dander can still cause issues.
Spring
Spring is when allergies are usually at their worst in Delaware. Tree allergies are the primary culprit, with cedar, maple, poplar, cottonwood, oak, hickory, walnut, willow, mulberry, and aspen trees all producing pollen at this time.
Common Allergens
Delaware residents will have seasonal allergies primarily due to tree, weed, and grass pollen. Indoor allergies are also allergy symptoms contributors, with common culprits being dust, mold, and pet dander.
Common Symptoms
Delaware 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.
Allergens Around the State
Delaware has a variety of different allergies depending on what part of the state you live in. Let’s take a look at the allergies by region.
Wilmington/New Castle/Newark/Middletown
In the Wilmington, New Castle, Newark, and Middletown areas, spring allergies are usually due to oak, walnut, cedar, hickory, walnut, mulberry, willow, and ash trees. Summer grass allergens include ryegrass and bent, fescue, timothy, and prairie grasses. Fall weed allergy triggers include ragweed, wormwood, amaranth, and sagebrush.
Dover/Harrington/Milford/Georgetown
In the Dover, Harrington, Milford, and Georgetown areas, spring allergies are from hickory, ash, oak, maple, mulberry, and cedar trees. Summer grass allergies are from fescue and bent. Fall weed allergies are from Jesuit’s bark and Russian thistle.
Rehoboth Beach/Lewes
The Rehoboth Beach and Lewes areas endure spring allergies from oak, hickory, maple, willow, walnut, and ash tree pollen. Summer grass allergens include fescue and bent. Fall weed allergy culprits include orache, Russian thistle, and ragweed.
Testing and Diagnosis
Finding out why you have allergies in Delaware is no easy feat. The various types of pollen and the ongoing presence of indoor allergens can make it difficult to pin down the exact cause. Instead of leaving it to guesswork, you can try allergy testing instead. An allergy test will reveal the source of your allergies, making it easier to avoid these substances and find treatment. Wyndly provides at-home allergy tests so you can skip the doctor and get a pain-free test delivered to your door. Buy your at-home allergy test from Wyndly today.
Let’s look into 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 discomfort 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
It’s no fun having allergy symptoms, and it can be frustrating to deal with them. Fortunately, allergies are very manageable, and there are often options for treatment. There are several remedies and treatments you might try.
Limiting Exposure
Limiting exposure is a good first step in managing your allergies. While avoiding pollen isn’t always possible, there are ways you can keep your exposure to a minimum and lessen the severity of your symptoms.
- Look at the daily pollen count: The daily pollen count can tell you if pollen concentration is high in your area. If possible, try to stay indoors on these days.
- Mask up: If you do need to go outside when the pollen count is high, wearing a dust mask can help prevent you from breathing in pollen.
- Keep your windows closed: If you have your windows open during allergy season, pollen has an easy way in. It’s better to run the A/C instead.
- Install a HEPA filter: Installing a HEPA filter on your A/C can help reduce pollen levels in your home.
- Go outside in the evening: If you want to go outside during allergy season, sticking to the evening hours is better. This is when pollen levels are usually at their lowest.
- Clean the house well: Clean your home regularly with a HEPA filter vacuum and a wet rag to dust hard surfaces.
- Shower and do laundry more: After being outside, you’ll likely get pollen on your body, hair, and clothes. Showering and doing laundry more often can help you keep pollen off during allergy season.
- Trim trees, cut grass, and pull weeds: Doing these three things can help reduce pollen levels around your home.
Medications
While limiting your exposure is a great idea, it’s not always enough to provide you with allergy relief, especially when the season is peaking. You can temporarily manage symptoms further with over-the-counter allergy medications. Some options include antihistamines, eye drops, nasal sprays, and decongestants.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
If you want to find lifelong relief from allergies, managing your symptoms won’t be enough. Instead, you need to try allergy treatment. One safe and effective allergy treatment you may consider is sublingual immunotherapy. This treatment uses drops or tablets administered under the tongue to introduce small doses of an allergen substance to your immune system. Over time, this retrains your immune system to ignore these substances instead of reacting to them and causing allergy symptoms. Sublingual immunotherapy can be taken at home and avoids the painful needles that are required with allergy shots.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
If you want to finally find relief from your Delaware allergies, Wyndly can help. Scheduling an allergy consultation will allow our doctors to learn your allergy profile and create a personalized treatment plan to find you long-term relief.
Schedule your Wyndly allergy consultation today.
Delaware Allergy FAQs
We have answers to some frequently asked questions about Delaware allergies.
How long is Delaware’s allergy season?
Delaware allergy season is fairly long, going from late winter to late fall.
Is allergy season bad in Delaware?
Delaware has a bad allergy season thanks to a long growing season and an abundance of plant life.
Is Delaware a good state if you have allergies?
Delaware isn’t a great state for allergy sufferers, though there are worse places out there.
When is the Delaware allergy season?
Delaware allergy season goes from late February to the first hard freeze of winter.
What are the worst months?
The worst months are March, April, May, and September.
