Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Tennessee Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyTennessee is known for its lively cities, being the heartland for country music, and its beautiful nature, with places like the Great Smoky Mountains. Unfortunately, it’s also known for having a terrible allergy season. Tennessee frequently ranks as one of the worst states for allergy sufferers.
In addition to the state’s airborne pollen allergies, Tennessee also has ever-present indoor allergies like dust, mold, and pet dander. Pollution and smog can also agitate allergies in the summer season. But what can you do to combat seasonal allergies? What pollen do you need to know about?
Wyndly is here to help. With your personalized treatment plan from Wyndly, you can find lifelong relief from Tennessee allergies. Get your personalized allergy consultation today, or read on to learn more about Tennessee allergy season.
When Is Tennessee Allergy Season?
Tennessee’s allergy season usually goes from late February to late November. Tennessee’s location, climate, and abundant tree life all combine to create a perfect storm for allergy sufferers. Fortunately, there is a brief respite in winter. Other than the high levels of pollen, the length of Tennessee allergy season is fairly typical. Depending on the weather, it may last a little longer than it does in colder states.
Allergens by Season
Tennessee allergies will start in spring and go well into fall. Let’s look at the different seasons and the allergies that come with them.
Summer
Summer is when grass allergies cause Tennessee residents the most problems. Tennessee has a wide range of allergy-inducing grass varieties, such as bahiagrass, bluegrass, Bermuda, timothy, fescue, Johnson, and others. Grass allergies can start as early as late April or early May in Tennessee. They usually settle down around July or August.
Fall
For fall allergies, weeds are the main issue. Ragweed is by the far the worst offender once fall weather arrives. It will usually stick around until the first frost.
Winter
Allergy sufferers in Tennessee can rejoice, as they get a brief respite from pollen in winter. However, it’s relatively short-lived, as tree pollen can start up again in February.
Spring
In spring, tree pollen is the dominant allergen. Birch, elm, maple, poplar, mulberry, walnut, sycamore, and cedar tend to be the most allergenic trees for Tennessee residents.
Common Allergens
Tennessee’s short winters and array of plant life allow tree, grass, and weed pollen to thrive and spread easily.
Common Symptoms
Tennessee 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 to occur.
Allergens Around the State
The various areas of Tennessee will all have their own set of allergens to contend with. Let’s take a look at some major areas of Tennessee and their primary allergies.
Memphis/Dyersburg/Jackson
Allergy season in the Memphis, Dyersburg, and Jackson areas will start in spring with hickory, oak, walnut, birch willow, cedar, mulberry, and pecan tree pollen. Next is summer allergies, with ryegrass and Bermuda, timothy, fescue, and bentgrasses. Finally, fall allergies will bring ragweed and amaranth into the fold.
Clarksville/Nashville/Murfreesboro/Cookeville
In the Clarksville, Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Cookeville areas, spring allergies will include hickory, willow, oak, maple, mulberry, poplar, and ash tree pollen. In summer, ryegrass and Bermuda, timothy, orchard, and fescue grass pollen are the main issues. In fall, ragweed and sagebrush cause the most problems.
Chattanooga/Knoxville/Kingsport/Great Smoky Mountains National Park
For the Chattanooga, Knoxville, Kingsport, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park areas, spring allergies will bring oak, hickory, birch, maple, cedar, and walnut tree pollen. Summer brings Bermuda, bent, timothy, and sweet vernal grass pollen. Fall finishes up allergy season with ragweed and wormwood pollen.
Testing and Diagnosis
During allergy season, there are a variety of different pollens floating through the air, so it can be nearly impossible to pin down which specific pollen is causing your allergy symptoms without an allergy test. Fortunately, Wyndly makes allergy testing easy. You can get an at-home test and do a simple finger prick, and we’ll get you your results. Get your allergy test from Wyndly to learn what allergies you have.
Here’s 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
- 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 a treatment plan.
Treatment and Remedies
If you’re dealing with allergy symptoms, there are things you can do to treat and manage them. Here are some methods you may want to try.
Limiting Exposure
It’s always a good idea to limit your exposure to your allergens. Here are some tactics that might work:
- Clean your home thoroughly: Cleaning your home frequently during allergy season can limit the amount of pollen you’re exposed to in your house. You’ll want to vacuum floors and furniture with a HEPA filter vacuum at least once per week. You can also use a wet rag to dust hard surfaces.
- Do laundry and shower often: When you go outside, you’ll inevitably get pollen on your skin, clothes, and hair. It’s a good idea to shower after being outside and do laundry often to get pollen off your clothes. Just make sure you don’t dry your clothes outside on a line.
- Use your A/C: Instead of opening windows, run your air conditioner. It’s also a good idea to put a HEPA filter on your A/C to keep pollen out and prevent it from circulating throughout your home.
- Wipe down pets when they come inside: When your pets come inside, use a towel to wipe them down so you can get as much pollen off them as possible. You may want to bathe them more frequently during allergy season.
- Check the pollen count: Don’t forget to check the outdoor pollen concentration in the morning, so you know how much you’ll be exposed to when you go outside. Try wearing a dust mask and sunglasses if you do need to head out of the house on high pollen count days.
Medications
Limiting your exposure may only take you so far. Often, over-the-counter allergy medications will be needed to help manage your symptoms for short-term relief. You can try common OTC meds like antihistamines, nasal sprays, eye drops, or decongestants.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
If you’re looking to treat your allergies rather than just manage them, you should consider sublingual immunotherapy allergy drops. Allergy drops introduce small amounts of your allergen to your immune system over time in gradually increasing doses. This retrains your immune system to build a tolerance for or immunity to that substance. Unlike allergy shots, allergy drops are painless and can be self-administered at home.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
If you want long-term relief from your Tennessee allergies, choose Wyndly. We provide you with a consultation and personalized treatment plan that will bring you complete relief from your allergy symptoms. With sublingual immunotherapy, you’ll be able to treat your symptoms at the source.
Get your allergy consultation with Wyndly today.
Tennessee Allergy FAQs
Still have questions about Tennessee allergies? Here are some common questions and answers to help you out.
How long is Tennessee’s allergy season?
Tennessee allergy season can start as early as late winter and go into late fall.
Why is allergy season so bad in Tennessee?
The climate, abundance of trees, and topography of Tennessee make it a hotspot for pollen and other airborne allergies.
Is Tennessee a good state if you have allergies?
Tennessee is frequently ranked as one of the worst states for allergies.
When is Tennessee allergy season?
Tennessee allergy season usually starts in late February and ends after the first frost.
What are the worst months?
The worst months are April, June, and September.
