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What Causes Fall Allergies?

Unfortunately, allergy season does not end with the summer. The start of fall brings it own set of allergy triggers, and the symptoms they cause are just as uncomfortable as summer allergies. Many people don't realize they have fall allergies since it's easy to mistake fall allergy symptoms for a cold, but fall allergies are very common. Most fall allergies have indoor sources, which are harder to avoid.

  1. Dust Mites

    • Dust mites are are spider-like creatures, invisible to the naked eye. Dust mites feed off of the dead skin cells that people shed. Household dust is composed mainly of dead skin cells, so dust mites thrive in dusty conditions. Dust mite droppings, as well as the decaying bodies of dead mites, mingle into the dust, and a protein in these materials triggers an allergic reaction in many people. Dust mite proteins are virtually always present, but when you turn on your furnace in the fall they get stirred up into the air. Furthermore, since you tend to spend more indoors during the fall you're exposed more to these allergens.

    Mold

    • Mold is another common cause of fall allergies. Mold thrives in humid conditions. In the fall, piles of wet fallen leaves, as well as damp basements and bathrooms, provide an ideal breeding ground for mold. Breathing in tiny mold spores can trigger allergic reactions.

    Pollen

    • Pollen allergy sufferers often anxiously await the end of the summer hoping their symptoms will dissipate along with the warm weather, only to find that their itchy, watery eyes and runny noses get even worse in the fall. One of the worst pollen offenders if ragweed, and this yellow-flowering weed begins pollinating in very late summer or early fall. Ragweed can continue pollinating for months, well into the cooler weather.

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