Could not getting spring allergies have caused my fall allergies?

September 10, 2024 12:09 PM

I usually get allergies bad for about two weeks in the spring. I know it's tree pollen by looking at the weather reports when my sniffling and sneezing are at their highest. I didn't get allergies this year because I was out of the country those two weeks. I usually don't get allergies in the fall, but this year I have them bad. Are the phenomena related?
posted by Roy Batty to Health & Fitness (2 answers total)

Most likely not. If you were in a different part of the world during that time period, you were not exposed to the pollen that would have triggered the usual allergies.

From conversations with my allergist, if the weather in your area has been atypical, you are most likely reacting to something that normally would not bother you or will cause symptoms you normally don't experience. I am generally allergic to nature, but the past couple of years have been utter hell on my eyes for periods in the spring and fall (feeling it right now actually...) which is not something I have experienced in the past.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 2:00 PM on September 10

Just met with an allergist yesterday for a different reason and mentioned how bad my seasonal allergies have been this week, and she said that this year has been extra bad for everyone with allergies.

In case this happens to be relevant to you, while I generally take 60mg of Allegra twice a day to manage my allergies, this hasn’t been enough. I asked her if I could go up and she said you can take it as high as 180mg three times a day. So taking a higher dose than you usually do may be an option to get through it.
posted by brook horse at 2:49 PM on September 10