Weed Allergy Information

Weed allergies result in hay fever (upper respiratory problems) because your immune system reacts to the pollen. Depending on where you live in the United States, weed pollen allergy season is from spring (April or May) through fall (October or November), according to Allergyescape.com.

Weeds

• Allergyescape indicates that the most common weeds that cause hay fever include ragweed, sagebrush, tumbleweed, pigweed, yellow dog, English plantain, Russian thistle and cockleweed.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of weed allergies (hay fever) can include coughing; sneezing; runny or congested nose; itchy eyes, nose and throat; watering eyes; fatigue and post-nasal drip.

Treatment

• Treatment includes avoiding the allergen. Medications, including antihistamines, decongestants and corticosteroids, might be given orally or in eye or nasal sprays, according to the Mayo Clinic. Depending on the severity, they might be over-the-counter or prescription strength.

Complications

• The Mayo Clinic indicates that if you have an allergy to weed pollen you are at a higher risk of complications such as asthma, which can be triggered be the allergen. In addition, you have a higher risk of ear or lung infections, sinusitis and eczema.

Prevention

• Prevention of weed allergies includes limiting your time outdoors when pollen counts are high, using air conditioning and keeping your windows closed, using saline spray to rinse your nose when you come inside, and eliminating weeds from your yard.

Immunotherapy

• According to Allergyescape, you might be given a series of shots that contain increasing amounts of allergen extract to build your immunity to the allergen.