Longer Ragweed Seasons Predicted in New Jersey, New York Regions

As Aug. comes to an end, ragweed season strikes allergy sufferers. Ragweed pollen is the most allergenic outdoor pollen and is responsible for countless sick days every year in the months of Aug. and Sept.
Coming into bloom in mid-Aug. in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area, ragweed pollen stays for a few months and will affect 75 percent of Americans who have allergies, according to Leonard Bielory, M.D., a specialist in allergy and immunology with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) and the Department of Environmental Sciences at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. RWJUH is certified by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology National Allergy Bureau as a pollen counting station.
Approximately 10 to 20 percent of Americans have ragweed as the sole culprit of their allergies in the late summer to early fall. Ragweed pollen is one of the leading causes of hay fever in the U.S. and causes people to suffer from symptoms that may include sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, itchy eyes, nose and throat, trouble sleeping, coughing or wheezing, headaches, chronic sinusitis and asthma attacks. Allergies associated with ragweed pollen cost about $21 billion a year in the U.S.
However, one should not forget that along with ragweed that normally occurs in Aug., grass pollen has a second season that starts in Sept. coinciding with Indian Summer. Not all “hay fever season” pollen is ragweed. Dr. Bielory is conducting a grass pollen study for individuals ages 18-50. For more information, please call 973-912-9817.
Dr. Bielory is the principal investigator on a long-term U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant to study the potential impact of climate change on the human population, especially allergic airway disease, and what to expect over the course of the next 50 years. A changing climate means allergy-causing ragweed pollen has a longer season that extends further north than it did just 16 years ago. For the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area, ragweed season has not been as intense in the amount of pollen, but there appears to be increased sensitivity to pollen.
“Allergies that have been minor in the past are going to increase and become more of a clinical problem that may also impact patients with asthma,” said Dr. Bielory. “As global average temperatures have warmed, the first frost has been delayed, especially at higher latitudes, which means a longer season for ragweed. Because warming is greater at these high latitudes, the length of the season has been more pronounced and is affecting patients. In New Jersey, the season appears to have grown longer over the past 20 years, and the shift is likely to have an impact on the diagnosis of allergies coinciding with the flu season.”
To put up your best defense against ragweed pollen and alleviate symptoms:
• Wash your clothes frequently, as pollen tends to cling to them. Remove your shoes and coat immediately to eliminate pollen from being tracked into the house
• Shower before bed to ensure you are not bringing pollen into your bed and pillow.
• Sleep with the air conditioning on and windows closed, to avoid ragweed from sifting through your screens.
• Keep windows up and air conditioning on to keep the ragweed from entering your car.
• Avoid going outside in the morning when pollen counts are typically at their highest and keep your exercise routine indoors.
• Bathe your pets frequently to minimize the pollen that he/she trails into the house.
• Utilize a particulate air (HEPA) filter or dehumidifier.
• Vacuum weekly with a cleaner that has a HEPA filter.
• Check pollen counts in your area and avoid being outdoors on days when the counts are high.
• Make an appointment with an allergist to evaluate your symptoms. Prescription medication and/or allergy shots may be right for you. There are also several over-the-counter antihistamine options in stores to help provide some relief throughout the day and lessen your body’s reaction to the allergens in the air.
For more tips on lessening the impact of seasonal allergies and to track the daily pollen count, visit: http://www.rwjuh.edu/pollen-count/pollen-count.aspx or download the app on iTunes iPollenCount to get updates directly to your phone.
For more information on RWJUH, please visit www.rwjuh.edu. For a referral to a physician affiliated with RWJUH, please call 1-888-MD-RWJUH. Follow us on Twitter at www.rwjuh.edu/twitter and Facebook at www.rwjuh.edu/facebook.