Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Mesquite Tree Allergies for 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyMesquite trees are known for their wood — namely, the delicious barbecue you can make by smoking it. They’re also great trees for enhancing the fertility of the soil around them. While these are useful applications, their pollen can also cause seasonal allergies in those sensitive to it.
If you have mesquite pollen allergies, Wyndly can help you find relief from your symptoms. Set up a consultation with Wyndly today, and read on to learn more about mesquite tree allergies.
What Is a Mesquite Tree Allergy?
Mesquite tree allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to the pollen produced by mesquite trees. The immune system can mistake this pollen for a foreign invader, using histamine, antibodies, and other chemicals to fight it off. This immune system response then causes common allergy symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, and itchy eyes.
Common Symptoms
Not everyone will react to seasonal allergies the same way, but there are some common symptoms you can expect.
Here are some of the symptoms caused by mesquite tree allergies:
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Headaches
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Scratchy throat
- Itchy eyes
- Watery eyes
- Allergic rash
- Aggravated symptoms if you have asthma
If the pollen count is high or if it’s allergy season, your allergies will be at their worst. You can expect your symptoms to increase in severity or frequency during these times.
Where Are Mesquite Trees Found?
Mesquite trees are primarily found in the southwestern and south-central United States. They’re fairly rare throughout the rest of the country, but it’s not unheard of to see them in other states. These trees tend to prefer dry climates, growing in the plains and along desert streams in states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
Mesquite tree pollen is wind-borne and can travel for many miles. Even if you don’t see mesquite trees in your immediate area, you can be exposed to their pollen.
When Is Mesquite Pollen Allergy Season?
Mesquite pollen allergy season can start in early spring, but it usually peaks in the late spring and early summer months. The season can begin as early as February before it eventually tapers off at the end of June. The allergy season for these trees can vary based on the climate and the elevation.
Foods to Avoid
Lima beans have been shown to have cross-reactivity with mesquite pollen, due to a similar protein found in lima beans and mesquite pollen. If you have mesquite allergies and you consume lima beans, you may experience an allergic reaction known as OAS or oral allergy syndrome. OAS presents as tingling or itching in the mouth or throat. These symptoms are typically short-lived and go away on their own.
As with any type of food, you should seek emergency medical attention if your allergic reaction is more severe than OAS symptoms. Trouble breathing or shortness of breath could be signs of anaphylactic shock.
Testing and Diagnosis
If you have seasonal allergies, it can be difficult to determine the source of your allergy symptoms. During allergy season, there are many different types of pollen in the air, and you could easily be allergic to one or multiple types of pollen. You could also be allergic to indoor allergens. With an allergy test, you can determine which allergens are causing you issues. Wyndly makes it convenient to get an allergy test with our at-home tests. Our tests are pain-free and don’t require a trip to the doctor. Get 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
- 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.
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 mesquite tree allergies, there are treatment and remedy options available. There are several ways you can manage or treat your mesquite allergy symptoms.
Limiting Exposure
Limiting exposure can help if you have mild allergy symptoms. While avoiding airborne pollen during allergy season can be difficult, it can help to reduce your overall exposure.
- Look at the pollen count: When allergy season comes around, get in the habit of checking the pollen count every day. If the pollen count is high, you’ll want to try to stay inside. When you go outside, wearing an N95 mask will reduce the amount of pollen you breathe in throughout the day.
- Go outside in the evening: If you’re looking to get some outdoor time, try sticking to the evening hours. Typically, tree pollen levels will be at their highest during the early morning and afternoon hours.
- Take more showers: Pollen is very sticky and can get on your skin and hair when you go outside. During allergy season, you may want to shower when you get home to rinse off any pollen you picked up throughout the day. It’s a good idea to at least wash your hands and face if you don’t have time or access to a shower.
- Keep the house clean: You’ll want to do some additional cleaning during allergy season, namely vacuuming your home with a HEPA-filter vacuum and dusting surfaces with a wet rag.
- Install a HEPA filter on your HVAC system: Using a HEPA filter or dehumidifier can reduce pollen levels in your home.
- Close the windows: Make sure to keep the windows closed so pollen doesn’t get in easily. Generally, it’s best to run your A/C instead, if you have it.
- Do laundry: Be sure to do your laundry more often during allergy season, so you’re not wearing clothes with pollen on them.
- Avoid the aforementioned foods: Don’t forget to avoid lima beans, as they may be cross-reactive with mesquite pollen.
Medications
Limiting your exposure can sometimes be helpful, but during the peak of allergy season, it may not be enough. Fortunately, there are allergy medications to help provide you with short-term relief from your allergy symptoms.
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Over-the-counter: The most common and widely accessible option is over-the-counter allergy medications. OTC allergy meds are effective for providing relief for various allergy symptoms.
- Antihistamines: Antihistamines reduce allergy symptoms by temporarily inhibiting the histamine response.
- Nasal sprays: Nasal sprays are particularly useful for runny and stuffy nose symptoms. They work by reducing the swelling and inflammation in the nasal passages.
- Eye drops: Eye drops work best for itchy and watery eyes, flushing out pollen and other allergen substances.
- Prescription: Occasionally, over-the-counter allergy medications won’t be sufficient to provide you relief from your allergy symptoms. In that case, you may want to consult your doctor about prescription medications.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
Taking allergy medications and limiting your exposure can help your allergies in the short term, but they’re not treatments. If you want to treat your allergies at the source, you may want to consider sublingual immunotherapy treatments. Sublingual immunotherapy uses drops or tablets to introduce small doses of your allergen to your immune system. Over time, this retrains your immune system to ignore these allergens instead of triggering an immune response.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
If you’re ready to find lifelong relief from your mesquite pollen allergies, Wyndly can help. Our doctors can create a personalized allergy treatment plan based on your allergy profile. Schedule an allergy consultation today to get started on the journey to an allergy-free life.
Mesquite Tree Allergy FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions about mesquite tree allergies.
Can I just get rid of mesquite trees from my yard?
Getting rid of mesquite trees in your yard may prove to be difficult, and it likely won’t solve the problem. Pollen can travel for many miles, so you’d have to remove more than just the trees in your yard. It can be helpful, however, to trim the branches of mesquite trees. This can help reduce pollen that’s in your immediate vicinity.
Can I move to a state without mesquite trees?
Mesquite trees are most common in the southwestern and south-central U.S., so it’s possible to move to a state where they are rare. However, it’s generally a better idea to just treat your allergies rather than move. Plus, it’s possible that a different state would have other trees or plants you’re allergic to.
When will mesquite pollen be the worst?
Mesquite pollen season is from February to June, with April, May, and June being the worst for allergy sufferers.
