Facts, Prevention and Relief for Florida Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyFlorida has beautiful weather year-round and often acts as a vacation escape for people. While this makes being outdoors in Florida enjoyable for the most part, it creates ideal conditions for many allergens to thrive throughout the year. Though certain allergens will be less prominent during certain seasons, there are almost always outdoor allergens causing issues in the Sunshine State.
If you’re in major Florida cities, there will be the constant issue of dust, mold, and pollution allergies, but what about the other Florida seasonal allergies? Which allergens are the most common and how do you find relief?
Wyndly is here to help. With Wyndly our doctors create personalized allergy treatment plans to help you with your Florida seasonal allergies. Get started with a personalized treatment from Wyndly or read on to learn more about Florida’s allergy seasons.
When is Florida Allergy Season?
Florida doesn’t have freezing winters or dry summers, meaning allergies can thrive year-round. Depending on your allergies, you may not have issues during certain seasons. If you’re allergic to multiple allergens, you may suffer from symptoms all year. We'll break down the allergies by season.
Allergens by Season
Though Florida allergies are present all year, some allergens are more prominent based on the season. Let’s take a look:
Summer
Summer allergies in Florida will primarily respond to grass and weed allergens. Ragweed, dog fennel, sorrel, and dock tend to cause the most issues for allergy sufferers in summer.
Fall
Weed and grass allergies will persist throughout fall in Florida, with ragweed being the main culprit. Fall typically marks the beginning of oak and pine allergies in Florida as well. Those with mold allergies will also want to take precautions when fall weather arrives since mold tends to thrive when conditions are cool and damp.
Winter
Those with grass and weed allergies may start to get some relief once winter hits. The biggest allergen for Floridians in winter will be tree pollen. Certain species of oak and pine will spread pollen in the early months of winter and can continue into the spring season.
Spring
Tree allergies are in full swing once spring hits. River birch, bayberry, elm, oak, and maple are the trees that tend to cause people the most trouble in the spring months. Of course, weed and grass allergies also tend to start back up in spring, making spring one of the worst allergy seasons.
Common Allergens
In Florida, as in most regions, grass, weed, and trees are the cause of most common seasonal allergies. Florida’s accommodating weather can mean these allergy seasons to extend a little longer than in states with colder weather. Smoke, insect bites, dust, mold, and pollution are also common allergens in Florida.
Common Symptoms
Florida residents can expect to experience several common allergy symptoms. These symptoms include:
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Headaches
- Scratchy throat
- Itchy eyes
- Watery eyes
- Hives
- Asthma symptoms
As always, reactions will vary from person to person, but as a whole, allergies will cause one or more of these symptoms to occur.
Allergens Around the State
Allergens can be found in every area of Florida, but some cities may have higher pollen concentrations for certain seasonal allergens. The most common allergens for the state, in general, are ragweed pollen and mold spores. Let’s take a closer look at allergens by city.
Jacksonville/Daytona Beach
The Jacksonville/Dayton Beach area experiences grass and weed allergies throughout the year. Birch, bayberry, and elm tree pollen tend to cause the most issues in spring.
Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Biscayne National Park
Just like in the rest of Florida, ragweed hits the Miami/Fort Lauderdale and the Biscayne National Park areas pretty hard. For trees, allergy sufferers should pay attention to juniper, cypress, and oak pollen counts.
Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater
With the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, we see ragweed prominently again, along dog fennel, oak, pine, sorrel, and dock.
Orlando
Orlando may be a fun tourist destination, but allergies can run rampant. Common allergens in Orlando include ragweed, grass, bayberry, orange blossoms, oak, cypress, and birch.
Tallahassee/Pensacola
Ragweed and grass rear their head again as common Tallahassee/Pensacola allergens. The oak tree tends to be the worst allergen for residents and visitors allergic to trees.
Melbourne/Fort Pierce
Needless to say, Melbourne/Fort Pierce aren’t able to escape ragweed and grass allergies. For tree pollen, the common culprits are elms, bayberry, oak, maple, and birch.
Testing and Diagnosis
The wide variety of allergens in Florida and the overlapping seasons can make it difficult to pin down the exact cause of your allergies. It’s good to know your allergens so you can avoid them more easily and treat them properly. There are a couple of ways to find out your allergy profile, with one way being simpler than the other. Wyndly's at-home allergy test is an easy and convenient way to determine your allergy triggers.
Let’s look at each:
Old Fashioned Method: Skin Prick Test at Your Doctor’s Office
The method most people are familiar with is the skin prick test at the doctor. This method involves using a needle to lightly scratch the skin with many different allergens. This causes itchy, uncomfortable bumps to rise up in reaction to your trigger substances. This method also requires an inconvenient doctor’s visit.
You can save yourself time and avoid an uncomfortable skin price test by ordering an at-home test with Wyndly instead. This test just requires a simple finger prick.
Modern and Efficient Method Taken At-Home:
- Get Wyndly’s at-home allergy test. We ship our CLIA-certified test straight to your door.
- Take the allergy test and return it via mail. You take an easy finger-prick test and return your sample in the provided envelope.
- Receive your personal allergy profile. Our doctors interpret your allergy profile for you and create a customized treatment plan.
Treatment and Remedies
Fortunately, there are relief options out there if you have seasonal allergies. Here are some of the things you can do to manage or treat your symptoms.
Change Your Environment
The best way to manage symptoms is to avoid allergy triggers. Take measures such as:
- Vacuum and dust often: Pollen is almost impossible to avoid, so make sure to keep your home as clean as possible. Vacuuming with a HEPA filter will offer the best results.
- Remove or trim trees: If possible, removing problem trees from your yard can be helpful. Trimming branches can also reduce pollen production.
- Keep windows closed and run your air conditioning: Install a HEPA filter to keep pollen out of your air system and keep windows closed during allergy season.
- Wash clothes and body frequently: Pollen can easily stick to your clothes, skin, and hair. Make sure to wash your clothes often and shower frequently to rid yourself of pollen.
- Check pollen forecasts: Various apps and weather websites can tell you the pollen count for the day. If it’s especially high, try to stay indoors as much as you can.
- Avoid exercise in the morning: Pollen is especially high in the morning, so avoid outdoor exercise if this is a problem for you. Mold allergies, conversely, are typically worse in the evening when temperatures cool down.
Medications
If avoidance isn’t providing you with enough relief, you can try to manage symptoms with medications. Typically, antihistamines, nasal corticosteroids, eye drops, and decongestants can temporarily help you get symptoms relatively under control, but only for a short time.
Sublingual Immunotherapy Allergy Drops
For long-term relief, allergy drops are a great option. Allergy drops, also known as sublingual immunotherapy, gradually introduce an allergen to your system in increasing doses. This teaches your body how to respond to allergens and reduces symptoms over time.
Get Long-term Relief with Wyndly
If you’ve been unable to find relief from allergies, it’s time to get in touch with Wyndly. Wyndly offers a solution for long-term and complete relief. Our process is simple and pain-free.
First, avoid a painful and inconvenient doctor visit by ordering an at-home test. Our at-home test will allow our doctors to create an allergy profile and a personalized treatment plan based on your triggers. Using sublingual immunotherapy, we can train your immune system to ignore the harmless substances that cause your symptoms. These allergy drops are sent straight to your door, without the need for constant doctor's visits or painful allergy shots.
Get a personalized treatment plan today if you’re interested in starting the journey to complete relief.
Florida Allergy FAQs
Still have questions about Florida allergies? Here are some common questions and answers to help you out:
How long is Florida’s allergy season?
Florida’s allergy season is year-round, with certain allergens being more prominent depending on the season.
Why is allergy season so bad in Florida?
The allergy season is bad in Florida due to the warm and rainy weather. The weather creates ideal conditions for grass, weeds, and trees to grow. This makes Florida a lush state, but also one that can be a nightmare for allergy sufferers.
Is Florida a good state if you have allergies?
It depends on your allergy, but in general, Florida has too many allergens for it to be considered a good place to avoid the unpleasantness of allergy seasons.
Does Florida’s rainy weather help with allergies?
On the days that it rains, you may find more relief from allergy symptoms. However, thunderstorms can make matters worse, with higher pollen counts occurring due to the rapid weather changes.
What are the worst months?
The worst months depend on your allergies, but generally, the spring months will have the most potent mix of allergens in the air.
