Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Massachusetts Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyMassachusetts is a beautiful New England state known for prestigious universities, the great city of Boston, and charming small towns. But if you don’t live in Massachusetts, you might not know that it’s not as charming of a state for allergy sufferers. While Massachusetts isn’t the worst state possible for allergies, there are certainly better options.
Seasonal allergies run rampant from spring through fall in Massachusetts, but residents don’t have to be miserable from their symptoms. There are options for managing and treating your allergy symptoms if you’re a Massachusetts resident.
Wyndly provides personalized allergy treatment plans for Massachusetts allergies. Get your personalized physician care from Wyndly and sign up for a consultation today. Or read on to learn more about Massachusetts allergy season.
When Is Massachusetts Allergy Season?
The length of Massachusetts allergy season isn’t too surprising. It has a typical spring to fall cycle, with trees being the main culprit in spring, grass in summer, and weeds in fall. The cold winters in Massachusetts mean allergy suffers can expect a break when the colder weather rolls in.
Allergens by Season
Allergies will be at their worst in summer, spring, and fall. Let’s take a look at Massachusetts allergies by season.
Summer
Summer is grass allergy season for Massachusetts. Expect pollen from ryegrass and Bermuda, redtop, timothy, sweet vernal, and orchard grasses to cause the most issues. Grass allergies will usually start in May and taper off by August.
Fall
Fall is weed allergy season. Massachusetts weed allergens include mugwort, ragweed, Russian thistle, wormwood, marsh elder, amaranth, and orache. This season starts in August and goes until the first hard frost of winter.
Winter
While the bitter cold might not be particularly enjoyable for Massachusetts residents, it does provide relief from pollen allergies. Indoor allergies could still be a factor, so watch out for mold, dust mites, and pet dander.
Spring
Spring will bring on tree allergies in Massachusetts. The usual culprits are aspen, oak, willow, ash, mulberry, hickory, and maple trees. This season will usually begin in March and last until late May.
Common Allergens
Residents of Massachusetts can expect seasonal allergies from weeds, trees, and grass throughout the spring and fall. Year-round allergens can include mold, pet dander, and dust.
Common Symptoms
Massachusetts 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
Depending on where you live in Massachusetts, you may have different allergies than other parts of the state. Let’s take a look at the common allergens in some of the major regions of Massachusetts.
Lowell
The Lowell area can expect tree allergies from ash, oak, willow, privet, hickory, mulberry, and walnut trees in spring. Summer grass allergies may be from ryegrass and bent, timothy, orchard, and fescue grasses. In fall, weed allergy culprits include ragweed, wormwood, amaranth, and sagebrush.
Boston/New Bedford/Cape Cod/Cambridge
The Boston, New Bedford, Cape Cod, and Cambridge areas will see spring tree allergies from aspen, oak, willow, ash, walnut, hickory, mulberry, and maple trees. Summer grass allergy triggers include ryegrass and Bermuda, fescue, orchard, timothy, and redtop grasses. Fall weed allergens include mugwort, ragweed, and wormwood.
Worcester
Residents of Worcester can expect spring tree allergies from oak, hickory, willow, cedar, mulberry, ash, and walnut. Summer grass allergies are often caused by Bermuda, timothy, orchard, brome, and bent. Fall weed allergens include ragweed, wormwood, amaranth, and smotherweed.
Pittsfield/Springfield
The Pittsfield and Springfield areas can expect spring tree allergies from oak, hickory, ash, cedar, privet, mulberry, walnut, and willow. Summer grass allergens include ryegrass and bent, timothy, and fescue. Fall weed allergy triggers include ragweed, wormwood, amaranth, and sagebrush.
Testing and Diagnosis
It’s not always easy to find the exact cause of your allergies in Massachusetts. Since the sources of pollen and indoor allergies can be present nearly year-round, the best you can do is guess. With an allergy test, you can find out for sure what’s causing your allergy symptoms. Fortunately, allergy tests don’t have to be a hassle when you get an at-home allergy test from Wyndly. Order your test today to find out what’s causing your allergies.
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.
Treatment and Remedies
Allergy symptoms are miserable, but they’re also very manageable. In many cases, they can even be treated! You have several options for treatments and remedies for your allergies.
Limiting Exposure
Limiting exposure is one of the most straightforward methods of allergy management. By avoiding your allergen, you won’t have allergy symptoms. Of course, this is easier said than done when there is airborne pollen everywhere. Still, there are ways you can keep your exposure to a minimum.
- Look at the pollen count: If the pollen count is high, try to stay indoors as much as possible.
- Keep windows closed: Instead of leaving the windows open during allergy season, run your A/C instead. This helps to keep pollen out.
- Wear a mask: When you go outside, wearing a mask can help keep pollen out of your airways.
- Limit outdoor time: In general, limiting your time outdoors during the peak of allergy season is recommended for those with severe allergies. However, you shouldn’t deprive yourself of enjoying the outdoors. Keep in mind that pollen levels are normally lowest in the evening.
- Install a HEPA filter: A HEPA filter on your A/C system can help keep pollen from circulating in your home.
- Shower often: Be sure to rinse off pollen when you get home from being outside.
- Clean the house well: It’s a good idea to vacuum with a HEPA filter vacuum, dust with a wet rag, and do laundry more often during allergy season.
- Remove shoes: Take off your shoes before entering the house to avoid tracking in pollen.
Medications
Limiting your exposure can be helpful, but many people will need some additional support to manage symptoms. In that case, you can try over-the-counter allergy medication. Some common options that provide short-term relief include antihistamines, eye drops, nasal sprays, and decongestants. There are also prescription options.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
While limiting your exposure and taking allergy medication are effective symptom management measures, they aren’t proper treatments. Sublingual immunotherapy is a way to treat your allergies at the source. By introducing your immune system to small, incrementally increasing doses of an allergen substance, it can be retrained to ignore those allergens. Also, sublingual immunotherapy can be taken from home and administered under the tongue with drops or tablets. This is much more convenient and less painful than allergy shots, which require a visit to the doctor and a needle for each dose.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
When you’re ready to say goodbye to Massachusetts allergies for good, choose Wyndly. Our allergy doctors will work with you to find the best treatment plan to get you long-term allergy relief.
Take our quick online assessment to get started!
Massachusetts Allergy FAQs
We have answers to some frequently asked questions about Massachusetts allergies.
How long is Massachusetts allergy season?
Massachusetts has an allergy season that lasts from spring to fall.
Is allergy season bad in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a fairly bad allergy season.
Is Massachusetts a good state if you have allergies?
Massachusetts often ranks high on the worst states for allergy sufferers, with Boston and Springfield being particular allergy hotspots.
When is the Massachusetts allergy season?
Massachusetts is from March to the first freeze of winter.
What are the worst months?
The worst months are April, May, and September.
