What are the main reasons people in the U.S. sneeze during allergy season? (Image credit: ProfessionalStudioImages via Getty Images)
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), allergies are the sixth most common chronic disease in the United States.
Of the 50 million Americans who experience this problem each year, many suffer from common seasonal allergies. In fact, approximately 8% of adults in the United States have allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever. Hay fever flare-ups most often occur in the spring, summer, and early fall.
Seasonal allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly perceives a harmless substance in the environment as a threat. In response, the body produces substances such as histamines, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins, resulting in typical hay fever symptoms including sneezing, coughing, runny nose, watery eyes, congestion, and fatigue.
But what are the main triggers for hay fever? In this article, we look at the five most common causes of seasonal allergies in the United States.
1. Weed pollen
Many people suffer from seasonal allergies caused by ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia).
Pollen is tiny, powdery particles that are released by plants when they reproduce. The male reproductive structures of plants, such as the stamens of flowers and the male cones of conifers, release these microscopic grains into the air. The pollen is carried by wind, insects, or other animals to the female testes. When pollen in the atmosphere enters the nasal passages of people who are allergic to it, it can cause inflammation and irritation of the nose and eyes, according to Yale Medicine.
Weed pollen is a major source of allergies in the late summer and early fall. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), common weeds that trigger allergy symptoms include burning bush, cocklebur, white goosefoot, sagebrush, pigweed, Russian thistle, mugwort, and tumbleweed. However, common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) ranks as the top culprit.
Ragweed pollen allergy is the leading cause of seasonal allergic rhinitis in the United States, according to the Allergy & Asthma Network (AAN). Ragweed is found in nearly every state in the United States, but is especially common in the East and Midwest. These plants pollinate from early August through November, with peak activity in mid-September and October. A single ragweed plant can produce up to 1 billion pollen grains, which can travel hundreds of miles. In addition to the typical
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