Angelica Bottaro is a writer with expertise in many facets of health including chronic disease, Lyme disease, nutrition as medicine, and supplementation. 

Farah Khan, MD, is a board-certified allergist/immunologist who treats pediatric and adult patients in private practice in Northern Virginia.

Allergies are an immune system reaction caused by allergens, which can include pollen, pet dander, dust, and other foreign substances. When a person is sensitive to certain irritants, their immune system responds to that trigger with the production of antibodies. These are blood proteins designed to fight off specific molecules known as antigens.

When a specific substance is more abundant during a specific time of the year, the symptoms that some people experience are referred to as seasonal allergies. Read on to find out more about what type of allergies are the most prevalent throughout the year.

In the United States, more than 50 million people suffer from allergies each year. Allergies are also the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the country.

Globally, roughly 300 million people suffer from allergies each year. Research suggests that those numbers continue to rise, especially in children who suffer from allergy-driven asthma.

When the immune system responds to an allergen, it releases one type of chemical known as histamine to fight off the substance. When this chemical is released, symptoms develop.

While most allergies are mild, a severe form of allergic reaction can occur known as anaphylaxis . Seasonal allergies are not typically the cause of anaphylaxis.

The main symptoms of seasonal allergies are:

While many people may be allergic to the same substances, such as dander or pollen, the way each individual's body reacts to the substance is different. Further, in one season a person may be without symptoms at all and but cannot seem to get rid of them in another. Seasonal allergies strike everyone differently.

Allergy season can occur at any point during the year, because there are various types of allergens that can lead to symptoms. It depends entirely on how a person responds to the substances they are exposed to. However, the following is a general timeline for seasonal allergies.

Fall allergies develop because of high amounts of allergens, such as grass and ragweed, are very common in many areas during the fall months.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, there are several different plants that can trigger seasonal fall allergies. Other than ragweed, these plants include:

Some other factors are associated with the onset of seasonal fall allergies. These factors revolve around climate and can include:

Unfortunately, there is virtually nowhere in the country that is safe from all allergens. Moving will not help you escape the allergens that trigger symptoms, but the symptoms themselves may vary based on the season and region.

Although winter allergies are less common than fall and spring allergies, they do exist. The same allergy symptoms will occur; however, they are typically caused by indoor allergens as opposed to the ones acquired outside in the warmer months.

These are year-round allergy triggers, but they can be heightened in the winter due to spending more time indoors, thus increasing exposure to them.

The biggest factor causing winter allergies is the extra time spent indoors, around indoor allergens, when the temperature drops outside.

In areas of the country where winter is warm or tropical, winter allergies are not caused by too much time indoors. Rather, they are due to the warm climate allowing for grass to pollinate throughout much of the year.

Studies show that it isn’t just different seasons that can trigger seasonal allergies. Geography can play a major role in the development of allergies. People living close to the equator are at an increased risk of developing allergies or asthma regardless of pollen counts.

Spring is the time of year most people experience seasonal allergies. This is due to the pollen that is released by plants in the spring.

Trees are often the most to blame for spring allergies. Some specific tree allergens include:  

The climate has a lot to do with spring allergies, because a more mild winter can lead to an early spring thaw. This causes an earlier, and subsequently longer, spring season and worsened spring allergies.

Typically, the spring sees a lot of rainfall and that can also trigger symptoms. While rain washes away pollen, after the rain has finished falling, pollen counts rise significantly.  

Treatment for seasonal allergies typically relies on medications, but some natural remedies also may help.

There are several types of medications that are given for seasonal allergies. They include:

In some cases, natural remedies can be used alongside other medications or on their own to help reduce allergy symptoms. Some natural remedies include:

The best way to prevent allergies is by avoiding triggers. While this can be difficult, it will help you avoid symptoms.

Other ways you can prevent allergy symptoms include:

There are some medications that can be taken daily as a preventive measure to avoid allergy symptoms. Some research has also found that including the dietary supplement spirulina may also help to prevent allergy symptoms.

Allergies can affect people throughout the year due to different allergens, or allergy triggers. Seasonal allergies are allergies that are more likely to affect people during a specific time of year. Seasonal allergies are most common in the spring, but can occur anytime of year or in any geographic area.

Treatment for allergies includes antihistamines, antileukotrienes, glucocorticoids, or natural remedies like saline nasal irrigation. Allergies can be prevented by avoiding allergy triggers.

Allergies can be difficult to cope with even if your symptoms are mild. While there is no way you can completely avoid allergens all the time, you can incorporate strategies to further prevent symptoms. If you have severe allergies that affect how your daily functioning, speak to your healthcare provider about possible medications that may be helpful for you. Seasonal allergies are uncomfortable, but they can be effectively managed.

If you are suffering from any of the symptoms of seasonal allergies, such as itchy or watery eyes, a stuffy or runny nose, or a cough, you could have seasonal allergies. The best way to tell if they are allergies is by monitoring when they come and go and whether other symptoms are present. This can include body aches and fevers, which can indicate something other than seasonal allergies is the cause.

There are several symptoms of seasonal allergies and COVID-19 that overlap. However, there also are many COVID-19 symptoms that would not occur with seasonal allergies, such as a fever, a loss of taste or smell, and body aches or pains. It’s important to pay close attention to your symptoms to ensure that you are seeking the proper medical care.

Colds can present with symptoms that would not occur with an allergy, such as a fever. If you have itchy or watery eyes accompanied by other symptoms that are similar to the cold, it’s likely that you have an allergy. Monitor your symptoms accordingly and when in doubt, call your healthcare provider.

Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.

Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.

There was an error. Please try again.

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Allergy facts and figures.

Schmidt CW. Pollen overload: seasonal allergies in a changing climate. Environ Health Perspect. 2016;124(4):A70-5. doi:10.1289/ehp.124-A70

American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Common seasonal allergy triggers.

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Indoor allergens.

Oktaria V, Dharmage SC, Burgess JA, et al. Association between latitude and allergic diseases: a longitudinal study from childhood to middle-age. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2013;110(2):80-5.e1. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2012.11.005

Emeryk A, Emeryk-Maksymiuk J, Janeczek K. New guidelines for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2019;36(3):255-260. doi:10.5114/ada.2018.75749

Hermelingmeier KE, Weber RK, Hellmich M, Heubach CP, Mösges R. Nasal irrigation as an adjunctive treatment in allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2012;26(5):e119-25. doi:10.2500/ajra.2012.26.3787

Bielory L, Heimall J. Review of complementary and alternative medicine in treatment of ocular allergies. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003;3(5):395-399. doi:10.1097/00130832-200310000-00013

Choi SY, Park K. Corrigendum to Effect of inhalation of aromatherapy oil on patients with perennial allergic rhinitis: A randomized controlled trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2103616. doi:10.1155/2016/2103616

National Health Service. Prevention: allergies.

Karkos PD, Leong SC, Karkos CD, Sivaji N, Assimakopoulos DA. Spirulina in clinical practice: evidence-based human applications. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:531053. doi:10.1093/ecam/nen058

Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.

There was an error. Please try again.