Echinacea & Ragweed Allergies

Ragweed pollen is one of the most common upper-respiratory allergens. Because the popular herbal remedy echinacea is a member of the same botanical family, Asteraceae, allergies to echinacea may be more common in people with a history of ragweed allergy.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of echinacea allergy are similar to the symptoms of ragweed allergy. They may include itching eyes, sneezing, coughing and rash. If someone who is seriously allergic to either plant takes it internally, he may suffer from anaphylaxis, a severe systemic reaction.

Expert Insight

• In January 2007, the "Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology" reported the results of a small-scale study that took place at Iowa State University Botanical Center. The study, which used skin tests to determine sensitivity, found that people with ragweed allergies were slightly more likely to experience an allergic reaction to echinacea.

Considerations

• The authors of the Iowa State University study noted that, while echinacea allergies were slightly more common in tested individuals with ragweed allergies, the difference was not "statistically significant" and did not strongly suggest a correlation between the two allergy causes.

Prevention

• People with a history of allergies to ragweed or other members of the Asteraceae family should take echinacea cautiously. However, scientific evidence does not support the idea that people with ragweed allergies need to avoid the herb entirely.

Fun Fact

• Other members of the Asteraceae botanical family include aster, daisy, sunflower and chamomile.