Unseasonably warm temperatures and early budding and blooming have caused this year’s allergy season to creep up earlier than ever , heat and rain typically drive a season to be good or bad.

It is said the allergy season is about five to six weeks ahead of schedule, and is potentially worst season in decades. Unseasonably high temperatures has caused many tree buds to open up early, including elm, birch and oak .

The record temperatures have tempted many to open up their windows and doors to let the warm breeze in, but doing so will only invite more pollen and allergy-causing particles in.

What really will make it better is more rain and then the counts never get a chance to reach their peak time. Pollen is like a powder and, therefore, if the powder is in the air, the rain will literally wash it down. However, only five days without rain can drive those counts up very quickly.

And with tree pollination typically lasting about six weeks — and with grass season coming next — this makes it relentless for some allergy sufferers. It is like having a cold for months on end!!

On days when air quality is particularly poor, those who usually suffer from allergies should try to stay indoors, keep windows closed and shower and wash their clothes to remove any pollen that stuck to them during the day

Which Plants Cause Allergies?

• Insect-pollinated plants have bright flowers and heavy, sticky, pollen grains that tend to stay put and cause few allergies.
• It’s the wind-pollinated plants that cause the most problems for allergy sufferers. Their small, dull, inconspicuous flowers produce clouds of tiny, light, pollen grains that are blown aloft for great distances and can easily penetrate window screens.
• To increase the chances that at least some pollen grains will reach the appropriate female flowers, plants produce many more grains than are needed—and some end up on our hair, on our clothes, and, alas, in our eyes and nasal passages.

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The Big Offenders

Pollen counts are high in the spring and autumn . Trees, grasses, and weeds are responsible for most windblown pollen. The big offenders are:

Large shade trees such as oaks, maples, and beeches; tree pollen emerges in the spring.

• Most lawn grasses; grass pollen emerges in the spring and continues through summer.
• Common weeds such as lambs-quarter, pigweed, and ragweed, which may produce a million pollen grains on just one plant. Some weed pollen begins in the summer; ragweed, a major allergen, causes problems in late summer and autumn.

There has been a huge increase in hay-fever sufferers in recent years, partly due to a growing interest in fruitless and seedless “litter-free” trees. Many of these are males that may be litter-free, but they are definitely not pollen-free. To make matters worse, fewer female trees are being planted, so less pollen is being caught. Instead, it falls to the ground, where it can be stirred up by mowers and foot traffic.

Two simple alternatives to over the counter medication which could also be preventative are.

Raw apple cider vinegar

With an already seemingly endless list of conditions that benefit from apple cider vinegar (ACV), allergies can be placed right in the mix. Allergies arise due to a histamine response from over-exposure to pollens, dander, dust and so on. Although these may be harmless, the human body’s immune response views them as foreign invaders that must be destroyed. People with allergies suffer from a heightened immune reaction to a non-threatening stimulus. ACV works by blocking the histamine reaction and reducing inflammation. Raw, organic ACV can be found in most supermarkets and every health food store. Take a shot of 1:1 mix of ACV and water first thing in the morning and up to 3 times a day. Drinking ACV before going outside can prevent an allergic reaction before it starts. Be careful not to burn the throat by drinking it too fast.

LOCAL raw honey

Besides being delicious, honey can reduce allergies or get rid of them all together. Everyone who has allergies generally knows what it is that sets them off. In the case of pollen allergies, one can likely identify which flower or tree gives them the worst symptoms. Most of the time these are plants that pollinate through wind and insects. By consuming a few spoonfuls of local honey from a plant source known to be problematic, one can build up a tolerance to the pollen and reduce the overall immune response to it, hence curing their allergies. Local farmers markets usually have a beekeeper’s local honey for sale and may be labeled with different plant sources for the honey. Purchase honey that comes from the plant causing allergies. If they don’t have it, try buying honey from the most local source, as this will most likely contain some pollen from many different plants in the area, further building up a tolerance.

If you can’t stand the taste of ACV, add some honey to it to dull it down and make it bearable to drink. These two natural remedies can help an allergy sufferer once again enjoy the outdoors without a box of tissues.

There now apps to down load on smart phones and tablets which can be very useful to track pollen counts in your area.