Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Grass Pollen Allergies for 2024

Grass allergies are a common seasonal allergy in the United States. Unfortunately, grass is also one of the more difficult allergens to avoid. Grass allergies are brought on when you breathe the pollen that is spread through the air.

During allergy season, many different grass species will release pollen into the air. This pollen can travel on the wind for hundreds of miles. While it can be difficult to avoid grass pollen altogether, there are ways to manage and treat your symptoms. Wyndly can help.

Set up a consultation with Wyndly today for more information, or read on to learn more about grass allergies.

Common Symptoms

Several common symptoms can be brought on by grass allergies. You may experience one or more of the following symptoms if you’re allergic to grass:

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

Your symptoms may range from mild to severe. Typically, symptoms will worsen when there is a high pollen count.

Where Is Grass Pollen Found?

Grass pollen can be found nearly everywhere in the United States. Certain species may be more prevalent in some areas. Since grass pollen can travel hundreds of miles in the air, your allergies may be triggered by a grass allergen that isn’t local to your area.

A variety of grass species can be found in cities, fields, yards, roadsides, and other common locations.

What Are the Types?

Here are a few of the most common grass species that cause allergies:

• Timothy
• Bermuda
• Rye
• Johnson
• Bahia
• Kentucky
• Sweet vernal
• Orchard
• Redtop
• Fescue

If you have grass allergies, it’s possible to be allergic to the pollen of multiple species of grass.

When Is Grass Pollen Allergy Season?

Grass allergy season will depend on your area and the species of grass you’re allergic to. In general, grass allergy season begins when the grass starts growing and carries on through the warmer months. Late spring and summer are when pollen tends to peak.

However, the warmer climate in some areas and the hardiness of certain grass species means that some grass allergies can last year round. If you’re especially sensitive to grass pollen, you may have to find ongoing treatment.

Foods to Avoid

Certain proteins found in grass can also be present in different foods. The foods to avoid will depend on the grass that triggers your allergies.

Here are some foods you may need to steer clear of if you have a grass allergy:

• Bananas
• Citrus
• Hazelnuts
• Melons
• Peanuts
• Persimmons
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon
• Zucchini
• Figs
• Melons
• Oranges
• Tomatoes
• White potato
• Peach
• Celery

While this list is by no means comprehensive, it does cover some of the most common foods people with grass allergies may have problems with. If you experience itching or tingling in your mouth after consuming these foods, this could indicate an allergic sensitivity. If you have a severe reaction to any type of food, make sure to seek emergency medical care.

Testing and Diagnosis

The variety of grass species and the presence of other airborne allergens can make it very difficult to determine the exact cause of your allergies on your own. With allergy testing, you can find out if grass is the source of your allergies and what species cause you the most trouble. The easiest way to get an allergy test is with a pain-free, at-home test from Wyndly.

This is 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

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 a 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

Once you’ve identified the source of your allergies, you can make a plan for treating or managing your allergy symptoms.

Limiting Exposure

The first step to managing your allergy symptoms is to limit your exposure. While avoiding grass pollen altogether is nearly impossible, you can take certain measures to reduce the amount you breathe in.

These are some ways to limit your exposure to grass pollen.

• Look at the pollen count every day: Every morning you should check the pollen count to see how high it is. On high pollen count days, try to stay indoors as much as possible. Pollen count can be found on weather websites or apps.
• Wipe pets off: If you have pets that go outside, make sure to wipe them off with a towel when they come in. Pollen can easily stick to their fur and get tracked into the house. Also, make sure to bathe your pets frequently.
• Wear a mask, hat, and/or sunglasses: When you have to go outside on high pollen days, make sure to protect your mouth, nose, and eyes. Sunglasses will help with this, and an N95 mask will be the most effective at keeping pollen out of your airways. A hat can also help to keep pollen off your face and hair.
• Mow the lawn often: Grass usually releases pollen when it’s longer, so keeping your grass short can help reduce pollen count in your immediate vicinity. If you can, have someone else mow your lawn.
• Change your lawn: A more drastic measure is to change your lawn to a grass species you’re not allergic to or switch to turf.
• Clean yourself and your home: Keeping your home clean will be essential during allergy season. Wash your bedding once a week, put clothes in the laundry after you’ve been outdoors, and vacuum with a HEPA filter vacuum. You should also keep yourself clean, washing your hair, face, and body after you’ve been outdoors.
• Avoid dry, windy days: Pollen will travel best on dry, windy days, so try to stay indoors when the weather is like this.
• Run the A/C and close windows: Running your air conditioning, using a HEPA filter, and keeping your windows closed can prevent pollen from circulating through your home.

Limiting exposure is always a good idea, but you may need to take further measures to find complete relief.

Medications

If you’re still having symptoms after limiting your exposure, you may want to try allergy medication to manage them. Taking allergy medication is more effective if you take it early in the day and if you start several weeks before allergy season begins. These are some allergy meds you may want to try.

• Over-the-Counter Medications: Over-the-counter allergy meds will be the easiest option to find and can work for most allergy sufferers. Here are the common options you’ll find on shelves:
  • Antihistamines: Antihistamines inhibit your body’s production of histamine, which is what contributes to your allergy symptoms. Taking antihistamines can help you find temporary relief.
  • Nasal sprays: Nasal sprays can help reduce runny nose and congestion symptoms. Nasal sprays can help reduce swelling and inflammation in the nasal passage and clear out pollen.
  • Eye drops: Eye drops can reduce red and itchy eyes by clearing them of pollen.
• Prescription: As a last resort, you may want to try prescription medications. Talk to your doctor to see if this is the right path for you.

Although allergy medications can help you manage symptoms, they don’t treat your allergies at the source. If you’re looking for long-term relief, you may want to consider sublingual immunotherapy allergy drops.

Sublingual Immunotherapy Allergy Drops

Allergy drops are a form of immunotherapy that is administered under your tongue. This is known as sublingual immunotherapy and involves using small, incrementally increasing doses to train your immune system to treat allergy triggers as harmless instead of releasing antibodies and causing symptoms. Allergy drops can help you find lifelong relief from your allergy symptoms.

Wyndly can deliver allergy drops straight to your door. No doctor’s appointment is required, and you don’t have to deal with the painful needles from allergy shots.

Get A Personalized Treatment Plan With Wyndly

With Wyndly, you get a personalized treatment plan for your allergies. If you’re sick of dealing with your grass allergies, let Wyndly help you find long-term, complete relief.

Using sublingual immunotherapy, you can treat your symptoms instead of just managing them. Get a personalized treatment plan today to get started.

Grass Pollen FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about grass pollen.

Can grass allergies bother me in winter?

Depending on where you live and what species you’re allergic to, grass allergies can persist year-round.

Is there anywhere I can move to avoid grass allergies?

While you may be able to move to avoid the species of grass you’re allergic to, grass can be found just about everywhere in the United States.

Does grass allergy season coincide with other allergy seasons?

Grass allergies can be difficult to identify since tree and weed pollen can often cause problems around the same time of year.

Environmental and Seasonal Allergens

Allergies to Cats

Allergies to Dogs

Allergies to Horses

Alder Tree Allergies

Ash Tree Allergies

Aspen Tree Allergies

Bahia Grass Allergies

Beech Tree Allergies

Cedar Tree Allergies

Chestnut Tree Allergies

Cocklebur Allergies

Cockroach Allergies

Cottonwood Tree Allergies

Cypress Tree Allergies

Dust Mite Allergies

Elm Tree Allergies

English Plantain Allergies

Grass Pollen Allergies

Hazel Tree Allergies

Hickory Tree Allergies

Hornbeam Tree Allergies

Indoor Allergies

Johnson Grass Allergies

Juniper Tree Allergies

Kentucky Bluegrass Allergies

Kochia Allergies

Lamb’s Quarters Allergies

Maple Tree Allergies

Mesquite Tree Allergies

Mold Allergies

Mugwort Allergies

Mulberry Tree Allergies

Oak Allergies

Olive Tree Allergies

Orchard Grass Allergies

Palm Tree Allergies

Pecan Tree Allergies

Pigweed Allergies

Pine Tree Allergies

Poplar Tree Allergies

Redtop Grass Allergies

Rye Grass Allergies

Sagebrush Allergies

Sheep Sorrel Allergies

Sweet Vernal Grass Allergies

Sycamore Tree Allergies

Tree Pollen Allergies

Tumbleweed Allergies

Walnut Tree Allergies

Weed Pollen Allergies

Willow Tree Allergies