Healthy Living

RAGWEED ALLERGY PREVENTION

It’s a shame that a plant as pretty as ragweed causes so much misery. But come midsummer, with its proliferation in the Midwest and Eastern states, along with each plant’s ability to produce up to a billion grains of windborne pollen, ragweed is a scourge to thousands of allergy sufferers.

Though the plant itself is not harmful, the oversensitive immune systems of the allergy-prone convince the body to treat it like an invader, causing the runny nose, puffy eyes, itchy ears and general respiratory discomfort that are the hallmark symptoms of pollen allergy. Asthma sufferers may also find that ragweed season triggers or intensifies asthma symptoms.

(A side note: While similar in appearance, ragweed is often confused with goldenrod, a valuable native plant also used increasingly in garden design. Goldenrod generally does not cause allergic reactions. Research photos of both plants so you can tell the difference).

While there is no cure for ragweed allergy, several strategies can help sufferers breathe easier when the plant reaches its peak season. While you should consult your doctor with serious allergy concerns, these common sense tips will augment any medications or treatments offered by your medical practitioner.

Keep tabs on pollen counts in newspapers, or on the web. The American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology on the Internet publishes pollen counts by region. Avoid the outdoors when pollen counts are high. If possible, stay in an air conditioned environment equipped with a HEPA filter, especially when you sleep. At the very least, keep windows closed during peak pollen hours.

Predawn hours are peak time for ragweed pollen in rural areas, but depending on weather, urban areas will peak between 10 am and 3 pm. Damp, rainy and cool temperatures below 50 degrees F will slow pollen release.

Have everyone remove their shoes when they enter your home. A great deal of pollen and irritants are tracked in the house on footwear.
Pollen is carried on clothing, too. Remove clothing to a laundry area when you undress, and wash promptly.

You can leave ragweed-dense areas and go to other parts of the country during midsummer for relief, but don’t feel you have to move away from where you live. Research has shown that people with pollen-related allergies often will develop allergies to different plants in different locales.

A worthwhile investment for comfort, health and cleaner living is a central vacuum system. Traditional vacuum cleaners, even if they are equipped with HEPA filters, can suck up and then re-circulate dirt and fine pollutants back into your indoor air. A central vacuum system, by contrast, collects and contains even the tiniest particles of dust and pollen, virtually all of them, then transports it through the hose and interconnected plastic tubing behind your walls to a sealed container. When the container is filled, it can be emptied and the contents disposed of. Many allergy sufferers maintain that their central vacuum systems are the most important allergy-fighting tool at their disposal.

Attack Allergens

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