Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Mugwort Allergies for 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyMugwort is a highly allergenic weed that can do a number on allergy sufferers in the late summer and early fall. Mugwort isn’t incredibly widespread in the United States, and the pollen doesn’t travel especially far. This is fortunate for those who live in areas without mugwort — but not so for those who have mugwort allergies in mugwort-rich regions.
If you live in an area with mugwort and the weed is triggering your allergies, there are ways to manage and treat your symptoms. Wyndly can help. With a personalized allergy treatment plan, you can find long-term relief from symptoms. Get started with your personalized treatment plan today, or read on to learn more about mugwort allergies.
Common Symptoms
If you have mugwort allergies, you may experience several allergy symptoms.
Here are some of the common symptoms for those suffering from mugwort allergies:
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Headaches
- Scratchy throat
- Itchy eyes
- Watery eyes
- Allergic rash
- Aggravated symptoms of asthma
Mugwort weed allergy symptoms will typically subside once the weather gets colder. On days with a high mugwort pollen count, your allergy symptoms may worsen.
Where Is Mugwort Found?
Mugwort can be found in most of the eastern United States and in the far northwestern regions, including Alaska. Mugwort pollen is relatively heavy compared to other windborne pollen, meaning it doesn’t travel very far. Mugwort pollen is able to travel a little over a mile from the source plant.
In these regions, mugwort can be primarily found in cities, along roadsides, around nurse crops, and in waste areas. Tearing out mugwort and cutting it before it blooms can help reduce pollen in your immediate vicinity.
When Is Mugwort Allergy Season?
Mugwort allergy season gets started at the same time as many weed allergies — in the late summer and fall. Mugwort season usually begins around mid-August and can continue until the first frost of winter. Typically, mugwort pollen will peak in September.
During allergy season, take care to check the mugwort pollen count and limit your exposure.
Foods to Avoid
Several foods contain similar proteins to mugwort pollen. Your immune system can confuse these proteins for the mugwort pollen and cause an allergic reaction known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS).
If you experience tingling or itching in your mouth when consuming the following foods, you may have OAS:
- Citrus fruits
- Watermelon
- Bananas
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Peanuts
- Pineapple
- Persimmon
- Cherries
- Apples
- Peaches
- Fennel
It’s recommended to avoid these foods altogether if you have mugwort allergies. If you have a severe allergic reaction to any food, seek medical attention immediately.
Testing and Diagnosis
Mugwort allergy season occurs at the same time as many other weed species. This can make it hard to ascertain the primary cause of your symptoms. With allergy testing, you can remove any doubt and find the source of your allergies. With Wyndly, allergy testing is convenient and pain-free. Wyndly offers at-home allergy testing that just requires a simple finger prick. Order your at-home allergy test from Wyndly today.
Let’s explore 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
- Get 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 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
If you have mugwort allergies, there are various ways to manage and treat your symptoms. Let’s take a look at some of the options you have.
Limiting Exposure
It’s recommended to limit your exposure to mugwort pollen as much as possible. Unlike many other airborne allergens, mugwort doesn’t travel far, so it may be a little easier to avoid than other pollen types. Here are some methods to try.
- Remove mugwort from your yard: Tearing mugwort out and cutting the blooms before allergy season can limit the production of pollen and reduce the pollen around your home.
- Check pollen count: When the pollen count is high for mugwort, try to stay indoors or wear a dust mask when leaving the house. You can find the pollen count on an app or local weather website.
- Watch for peak hours: Weed pollen usually peaks in the early morning and late afternoon. Try to limit outdoor time to evening hours during allergy season.
- Landscape with rocks and gravel: Mugwort grows best in soil, so mulch your landscaping with rocks and gravel to make it more difficult for mugwort to thrive.
- Keep your house clean: Cleaning your home frequently during allergy season is recommended. Vacuum using a HEPA filter vacuum, wipe off hard services with a wet rag, and do laundry often to get pollen off your clothes.
- Avoid the aforementioned foods: Familiarize yourself with the list of mugwort-related foods so you can avoid consuming them.
- Take shoes off when you get home: Avoid tracking pollen into the house by taking your shoes off when you get in the door.
- Shower often: After being outdoors during allergy season, it’s a good idea to rinse off your hair and skin to get pollen off. At a minimum, washing your hands and face when you get home is recommended.
Medications
Limiting exposure may not be enough for those with more moderate or severe mugwort allergies. Certain medications may work to help you manage your symptoms for short-term relief.
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Over-the-counter medications: Over-the-counter medications can be useful for temporarily managing allergy symptoms. They’re widely available and have non-drowsy options and options for children.
- Antihistamines: Antihistamines are one of the most common allergy OTC meds. They inhibit histamine production in the body, relieving several common allergy symptoms.
- Nasal sprays: Nasal sprays can clear nasal passages of pollen, swelling, and inflammation. Nasal sprays are best used for stuffy or runny noses.
- Eye drops: Eye drops can flush pollen from your eyes. This helps to relieve itchy, red, and watery eyes.
- Prescription: As a last resort, you may want to ask your doctor about prescription allergy treatment. Prescription medications may help to manage symptoms when OTC options aren’t enough.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
When you’re looking to treat your mugwort allergy symptoms at the source, sublingual immunotherapy is usually the recommended course of action. Sublingual immunotherapy introduces small, gradually increasing doses of an allergen to your system. As your treatment progresses, your immune system is retrained to ignore these harmless substances instead of responding with an allergic reaction.
Unlike allergy shots, sublingual immunotherapy doesn’t use needles and doesn’t require a doctor’s visit for every dose. They can be self-administered at home, under the tongue.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
If you’re looking for complete, long-term relief from your allergy symptoms, Wyndly is here to help. When you use Wyndly, our doctors will provide you with a personalized allergy treatment plan for your allergies. For those who qualify, Wyndly can also deliver sublingual immunotherapy to your door as part of your treatment plan.
Schedule your allergy consultation with Wyndly today to start your journey to living an allergy-free life.
Mugwort FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about mugwort allergies.
Can I just remove the mugwort from my yard?
Removing mugwort from your yard can be an effective measure to reduce exposure in and around your home. Pull up mugwort weeds, cut blooms, and mulch your landscaping with rocks and gravel to reduce the presence of mugwort. Keep in mind that the pollen can travel up to a mile, so you can still get exposed if there is mugwort in nearby areas.
Can I move to a state without mugwort?
Mugwort has a fairly widespread presence in the eastern United States, far northwestern United States, and Alaska. Moving to a different state where mugwort is uncommon may provide you with some relief from your mugwort allergies.
Is mugwort a common weed allergy?
Mugwort isn’t as common of a weed allergy as ragweed, and it isn’t nearly as widespread of a weed. Ragweed can be found in nearly every U.S. state except Alaska.
