Facts, Prevention and Relief for Virginia Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyVirgina is a state with several allergenic plants that cause issues for allergy sufferers throughout the year. Virginia does have fairly cold winters, which means that sufferers at least won’t have to deal with their allergies year-round.
If you’re unfamiliar with the allergy seasons in Virginia and the common allergens associated with them, it’s a good idea to learn what could be causing your symptoms. When you’re able to identify your allergens, you can more easily avoid them and treat them.
Wyndly can help by creating a personalized treatment plan for you that targets your Virginia allergies. Get started with your personalized treatment plan from Wyndly, or keep reading to learn more about Virginia allergy season.
When is Virginia Allergy Season?
Virginia has a fairly typical allergy season. It starts in the spring and ends in the fall. The winters tend to have snow and ice, which can lead to fewer issues for allergy sufferers.
Allergens by Season
Every season in Virginia has several allergens associated with it. Let’s break down each season and the allergens that cause the most problems.
Summer
In summer, the main pollen allergens are various types of grass. The most allergenic types include Bermuda, redtop, johnson, Kentucky bluegrass, and orchard.
Fall
Fall in Virginia sees the start of weed allergy season. Common weed allergies include ragweed, thistle, and goldenrod.
Winter
Winter usually provides a brief respite from seasonal allergies for Virginia residents. Indoor allergies can still be a problem during this time, so watch out for dust mites, mold, and other common indoor allergens.
Spring
In spring, tree allergy season will begin in Virginia. The most allergenic trees include oak, river birch, and maple.
Common Allergens
As with many areas of the U.S., the biggest seasonal allergens for Virginia are the result of pollen-spreading trees, grasses, and weeds. Other prevalent allergies include dust mites, pet dander, and mold.
Virginia residents can expect to experience several common allergy symptoms, including:
- 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 in general, allergies will cause one or more of these symptoms to occur.
Allergens Around the State
Different regions of Virginia will have different allergens. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest cities:
Roanoke/Harrisonburg/Shenandoah National Park
In Roanoke/Harrisonburg/Shenandoah National Park, allergies will begin in spring, with oak, hickory, maple, and mulberry trees causing the worst allergies. In summer, grass allergies include Bermuda, timothy, and fescue. For fall, ragweed and wormwood are the main allergens.
Lynchburg/Charlottesville/Danville
The Lynchburg/Charlottesville/Danville area allergies will begin in spring, with oak, ash, and maple trees being the most allergenic. In summer, grass allergies include Bermuda, sweet vernal, and timothy. For fall, ragweed and amaranth are the main allergens.
Richmond/Fredericksburg
The Richmond/Fredericksburg areas will start with tree allergies in spring, with oak, cedar, and hickory causing the most allergies. In summer, grass allergies will include Bermuda, bent, orchard, and rye. For fall, ragweed and sagebrush are the main allergens.
Virginia Beach/Norfolk
The Virginia Beach/Norfolk area will begin in spring, with hickory, oak, walnut, and cedar tree pollen being the worst allergens. In summer, the main grass allergen is rye. For fall, marsh elder causes the most problems.
Testing and Diagnosis
With the wide variety of pollen types in Virginia, it can be extremely difficult to determine which one is causing your allergy symptoms. You can quickly eliminate your doubts with an allergy test. An allergy test can show you what environmental allergies are causing you issues and perhaps even reveal allergies that you never suspected. A pain-free at-home test from Wyndly makes things even easier. Buy an at-home allergy test from Wyndly to discover your unique allergy profile.
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 suffering from allergy symptoms, it’s a good idea to limit your exposure and consider medications for managing your symptoms. If you want to fix your symptoms for life, solutions like immunotherapy are available. Let’s go over some of these methods.
Limit Exposure
Limiting your exposure will be the first step when you’re trying to relieve symptoms. Here are some good ways to limit exposure:
- Watch the pollen count: Check the pollen count before going outside. This can be found on weather apps and websites. On high pollen count days, it’s best to stay indoors as much as possible. If you do go outside, it’s helpful to wear a mask and sunglasses.
- Clean your house often: It’s easy to track pollen into your home, so it’s a good idea to keep your home as clean as possible. Using a HEPA filter vacuum on floors and furniture can be effective. It’s also a good idea to use a dehumidifier in your home and install a HEPA filter on the air conditioner.
- Do laundry often: Pollen will stick on your clothes as well, so you should make sure to do laundry often.
- Wipe pets off when they come inside: Your pets can track pollen in too. Wiping them off when a towel can help reduce the amount they bring in.
- Keep windows closed: Keeping your windows closed reduces the amount of pollen that can get in.
Medication
When limiting exposure doesn’t work, you can try using allergy medications to manage your symptoms. Over-the-counter allergy medications are widely available and easy to find. The common options are antihistamines, nasal sprays, eye drops, and decongestants. It is important to understand that these medications only provide short-term relief from your allergy symptoms and don’t treat your allergies at the source.
Sublingual Immunotherapy Allergy Drops
Medications and limiting exposure can bring you short-term relief, but if you’re wanting to fix your symptoms, consider sublingual immunotherapy allergy drops. Immunotherapy introduces gradually increasing doses of your allergen to your system, retraining your immune system to ignore your triggers instead of reacting to them. Unlike allergy shots, another form of immunotherapy, allergy drops are pain-free and don’t require frequent doctor’s visits. They can also be taken from the comfort of your home!
Get Lifelong Relief With Wyndly
If you’re tired of only finding short-term relief for your allergy symptoms, let Wyndly help. With our personalized allergy treatment plan, we can begin treating your Virginia allergies at the source. Through Wyndly you can finally beat your allergies.
If you’re ready to start on the path to lifelong allergy relief, get your personalized treatment plan from Wyndly today.
Virginia Allergy FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Virginia allergies.
How long is Virginia’s allergy season?
Virginia has a fairly normal length allergy season, starting in early spring and ending in late fall.
Why is allergy season so bad in Virginia?
Virginia has a variety of trees and other plant life that cause pollen allergies during the allergy seasons.
Is Virginia a good state if you have allergies?
Virginia is average for allergies. Winter provides some relief.
When is the Virginia allergy season?
Virginia allergy season runs from late February to November.
What are the worst months?
The worst months are April, May, and June.
