Allergy Season in New England
What ENT Specialists Want You to Know

What Are Seasonal Allergies?

Seasonal allergies (also called hay fever or allergic rhinitis) are allergies that are triggered by pollen. Pollen is released by plants, trees, and grasses.

Seasonal allergies, as the name suggests, occur during certain times of the year, when plants release pollen during their season. Depending on what triggers their allergies, some people may experience allergies during certain seasons or year-round.

Common symptoms of seasonal allergies include:

• Itchy, watery, and red eyes
• Frequent sneezing
• Nasal congestion
• Runny nose with thin, watery mucus discharge
• Cough
• Itchy nose, roof of the mouth, or throat
• Postnasal drip, or mucus dripping down the back of the throat
• Fatigue

Allergy Season in New England: What You Should Know

Different plants release pollen at different times of the year in Fall River and throughout the New England region. Here’s a quick breakdown of the region’s allergies based on the season:

Summer

The summer season is grass allergy season throughout the region, with the main culprits being Bermuda, timothy, sweet vernal, and orchard grasses. Grass allergy season will usually start in May and will last until early August.

Fall

The fall season is weed allergy season. The main causes for allergy symptoms include ragweed, wormwood, marsh elder, mugwort, amaranth, and sagebrush. The season will usually begin in August and last until the beginning of winter.

Winter

The winter season provides allergy sufferers with a quick respite from seasonal allergens as plants pause their vegetation. However, residents should continue to be wary of indoor allergens, such as mold, dust mites, and pet dander, as people tend to spend more time indoors.

Spring

The spring season is one of the worst allergy seasons in the region. Spring is tree allergy season, with aspen, oak, ash, mulberry, cedar, and maple causing major issues for many allergy sufferers. The season will usually begin in March and will last until May.

Ways to Manage Your Allergies in New England

Allergy symptoms can be frustrating, especially if they start affecting day-to-day life, productivity, sleep, and comfort. However, symptoms can be manageable with these tips and strategies:

✅ Limit your exposure to allergy triggers

While you can’t avoid all allergens, one of the most effective strategies to manage your allergies and symptoms is by limiting your exposure to potential allergy triggers:

• Monitor daily pollen counts and forecasts to start your day. Use this information to plan your day. If pollen counts are high, it’s better to stay indoors.
• Limit your time outdoors. Avoid heading out during peak allergen times. Consider limiting outdoor activities when pollen counts are high, and check local daily pollen forecasts to help plan the best times to be outdoors.
• Keep your windows closed during peak allergy season to keep pollen and allergens out.
• If you’re heading out, wear a mask to keep pollen and allergens out of your airways.
• Keep your home clean and allergen-free. Mow your lawn, trim grass, and remove weeds around your home to minimize pollen levels.
• Use a high-quality HEPA filter in your home’s A/C unit to keep pollen out of your home.
• Change out of your outdoor clothes and get into the shower after spending time outside. This prevents pollen you may have picked up from outdoors from spreading inside the house.

✅ Try some over-the-counter medications

Some over-the-counter medications may offer additional support in symptom management. You can try:

• Decongestants
• Antihistamines
• Nasal sprays
• Eye drops
• Pain relievers

✅ Ask your doctor about sublingual immunotherapy

Depending on clinical findings and the severity of your symptoms, your ENT care provider may start discussing the possibility of sublingual immunotherapy, or allergy drops.

Allergy drops (or sublingual immunotherapy) may be administered under the tongue as FDA-approved tablets for certain allergens or, in some cases, as custom-compounded allergy drops prescribed off-label. The way it works is by introducing small, incrementally increasing amounts of allergen substance into the immune system. This is designed to retrain the body to become more tolerant of these allergens, which may help reduce allergy symptoms in appropriately selected patients.

Allergy drops are a more convenient and less invasive allergy treatment option, which may be preferred by some patients over allergy shots, which require doctor visits and a needle for every dosage.

Note on FDA approval: In the United States, FDA-approved sublingual immunotherapy is available as tablets for certain allergens only. Custom-compound allergy drops are not FDA-approved, but may be prescribed off-label by some specialists.

Conclusion: Learn More About Your Allergies With New England Breathe Free

New England Breathe Free provides comprehensive sinus evaluations, allergy testing, and treatment guidance based on each patient’s unique allergy profile, symptom severity, personal health goals, and other individual health factors. We provide services in Fall River and the nearby Massachusetts communities.

If you’re struggling to manage your allergy symptoms, contact our team to schedule an evaluation and discuss which treatment options may be appropriate for your individual needs.