The best part about summer is how the warm weather seemingly brings everyone together, offering more opportunities for outdoor activity and less time indoors. Yet, with so much further interaction outside, the amount of allergy triggers increase substantially and can cause plenty of seasonal sneezing, runny noses and irritated skin.

In order to remind you about all the allergy triggers you’re about face upon heading outdoors and potentially track back into your homes, we’ve put together this list of the main allergies associated with summer allergy season.

Beyond awareness, we’ve also pointed out key symptoms associated with each allergen, along with ways to prevent those symptoms before they set in.

Pollen

What Is It?
Pollen is the most common summer allergen. Produced by plants and then streamlined into the air by wind and bugs for pollination, pollen affects almost everyone. Grass pollen specifically produces hay fever, which can be carried for miles and is easily inhaled by nasal passages. Oak, birch, hickory and pecan trees are some of the biggest culprits of early pollen problems.

There are various types of pollen, which clutter the air during every season. In the spring, pollen emits from trees, even before the leaves bloom. Then, towards the end of spring and into summer, grass pollen starts to materialize and enter the air. Finally, the cycle is completed once the weeds arrive in late summer and produce their own potent pollen into the air. According to Dr. Melissa Stöppler, hay fever from pollen affects over 30% of the people worldwide.

Symptoms
– Sneezing
– Watery Eyes
– Nasal Congestion
– Runny Nose
– Itchy Throat
– Cough

Relief
The best way to prevent pollen allergy triggers is by simply avoiding exposure to the highly affected areas. If you’re highly allergic to pollen and ragweed, stay away from outdoor areas with high volumes of plants and open fields.

Even then, certain pollen spores will inevitably still fill the air. To ensure they’re not being tracked indoors, place a high-efficiency air purifier for allergies in the area in your home or office that sees the most traction from the outdoors. Once implemented, the filters will capture the pollen from the air and prevent further allergy outbreaks.

Lastly, make sure to regularly wash your animals, who also may collect pollen on their furry coats.

Bug Bites

What Are They?
We all know what bug bites are and if you have spent any time outside this month, you probably have a few already. However, what you may not know is that the ACAAI has found more than two million Americans are allergic to insect bites and more than 500,000 of them leave people in emergency rooms.

Mosquitoes prefer men over women, along with overweight individuals. Yet, they’re not discriminatory and will leave anyone with itchy, uncomfortable bites.

Additionally, one of the more serious outcomes is a very dangerous allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, which triggers swelling in areas that weren’t bitten and potentially require immediate medical attention. No matter the severity, all bug bites come with irritating and often allergic side effects and should be avoided at all costs.

Symptoms
– Itchiness
– Hives
– Swelling
– Difficultly Breathing
– Dizziness
– Unconsciousness & Cardiac Arrest

Relief
Like pollen, the best way to avoid insect bites is to avoid insects. Easier said than done, right? Well, one of the best ways to deflect insects like mosquitoes is with allergy-relief bug repellent, from your local drug store. Another way to fend off bug bites is to stay inside or take extra protection at night, when bugs are more prevalent. If you’ve already been bitten, treat affected areas by taking over the counter allergy medicine or applying ice to the bite.

Dust Mites

What Are They?
Although bites from bugs like mosquitoes can definitely flare up allergic reactions, bites from dust mites are much different. Most of us who think we’re allergic to dust are actually allergic to these miniature bugs hidden within the dust.

They thrive off dead skin from humans and pets, making bed sheets and bedrooms breeding grounds for their nests. These pesky critters prefer temperatures of 70 degrees and won’t survive in colder temperatures, which is why they’re most prominent throughout summer months like July and August.

Symptoms
– Itchy Eyes
– Watery Eyes
– Runny Nose
– Itchy Nose
– Sneezing

Relief
Since dust mites formulate within dust, keeping your home or office free of dust is the most important preventative measure anyone can take when trying to avoid dust mites. Additionally, since dust mites are attracted to bed rooms, make sure you’re frequently changing your bed sheets and bedding, as well as thoroughly cleaning your carpets and furniture.

Finally, one way to prevent dust from collecting in the first place is by implementing one of our air purifiers for summer allergies. Our Mod air purifiers capture up to 99.4% of airborne dust, before it can settle and dust mites start collecting in your living space.

Mold

What Is It?
Although mold is active all year round, the mold spores that trigger allergy symptoms are actually most prominent in summer months. The reason for this is because mold is fueled by the increased levels of humidity in the air.

Therefore, outdoor mold spores are enhanced by seasonal activities like lawn maintenance and clean-up, as a result of the humid hotbeds like grass clippings and piles of yard waste.

To make matters worse, those outdoor mold spores are then tracked indoors, adding to the indoor mold spores that are derived from humid areas like basements and bathrooms. Once mold spores have settled, they will grow on the floor, walls and nearly everything within overly humid areas. Infants and the elderly are most susceptible to mold allergies.

Symptoms
– Coughing
– Wheezing
– Stuffy Nose
– Itchy Eyes
– Asthma Attacks

Relief
The number one way to reduce exposure to mold is by avoiding humid areas, especially in the summer months. Places like home basements, greenhouses, farms and anywhere compost piles are present should be avoided.

However, the key to relief from mold allergies is ensuring areas you spend your most time are free of mold spores, namely your home or apartment.

The first mold prevention tactic to take is checking for leaks in your living space, which encourage damp areas and humidity. In the same breath, that humidifier can be packed up until next winter.

Another way to alleviate mold spores in your home is with an air purifier for summer allergies, which can specifically capture nearly 100% of indoor and outdoor mold spores, before the settle into your home and lungs.