Ragweed Allergy
If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from ragweed allergy every year, or are concerned that ragweed pollen might be effecting you, then you have come to the right page. We'll cover all aspects of allergies to the ragweed plant, a condition more commonly known as 'Hay fever'. Firstly we'll look at what exactly ragweed is and when it's in season.
There is plenty of information here to help you through the ragweed season, so read on to find out about the ragweed plant and the preventative measures that you can take in order to stop it making your summer and fall a real misery!
What is Ragweed?
So first of all it makes sense to answer a very common question, 'what is ragweed?'. The ragweed plant is the sole cause of ragweed allergy, and it is a flowering plant from the sunflower family. Sounds harmless right? Well millions of people will tell you that couldn't be further from the truth.
The ragweed pollen that is released from these plants during each ragweed season create havoc in the lives of millions of ragweed allergy sufferers. The millions of grains of pollen that are released into the air evoke an allergic reaction in those that breath it in and are susceptible to this common pollen allergy.
Other names for the ragweed plant are 'bitterweeds' or 'blood weeds', and in various regions of the Northern Hemisphere it is common to find giant ragweed plants. So far there have been 41 different species of ragweed plant discovered across the globe, most commonly found in warmer regions of the Northern Hemisphere such as North America and Europe, and also areas of South America.
The ragweed plant thrives on dry plains, sandy soils and the banks of rivers, as well as on dry roadsides and any sort of open and unattended land or waste land. This means that it is not just found rurally but in urban areas too. Ragweed pollen is incredibly lightweight, and is spread primarily by the wind where it can be carried literally hundreds miles and for prolonged periods of time on dry and windy days.
Ragweed pollen is extremely allergenic, in fact it is believed to be the most allergenic of all pollens and with each plant able to produce in the region of a billion grains of pollen each season it is hugely widespread and a problem that is near impossible to control.
Unfortunately with this being the case there are very few places in America and other countries, where you are safe from ragweed pollen. The notorious ragweed pollen is the number one cause of hay fever in America and it severely interrupts the lives of millions of people.
If you suffer from ragweed allergies then you may want to find out about methods of ragweed allergy relief and pollen allergy treatments.
When is ragweed season?
So now that you know what ragweed is and about the allergic reactions that ragweed pollen can cause, you are going to be wondering when ragweed season is going to strike!
Generally the ragweed season runs from August through to the end of October, but last year in 2010 it managed to hang around a little bit longer. This could mainly be down to the fact that temperatures throughout the fall were a little warmer, and in some areas this meant that it took a little longer for winter to kick in. Not the best news for ragweed allergy sufferers if this is a trend that is going to continue, as the season is never over until frosts kick in to kill the ragweed plants.
Now it is time to find out how ragweed pollen can effect you and also what the best ways to protect yourself against this common seasonal allergy are.
How does ragweed allergy affect me?
The human immune system is there to recognise any form of bacteria or virus that is potentially harmful to the body, and then take action to eradicate them. This in simple terms prevents us from becoming ill. People who suffer from allergies have a somewhat weaker immune system which can react in a defective way when confronted with certain things, such as ragweed pollen in this case.
Just by simply inhaling air with a hint of ragweed pollen, sufferers will proceed to experience the symptoms of hay fever, or ragweed allergies. Coming into contact with the plant will cause an accelerated reaction and symptoms.
Anybody that suffers to any degree from hay fever is highly likely to suffer from ragweed allergy, as essentially they are the same thing. Generally if you are allergic to a type of pollen then you will be allergic to all types, and with the ragweed plant producing the most allergenic pollen it stands to reason that it can effect these people. As we have already mentioned ragweed pollen is the number one cause of hay fever in North America.
People who are allergic to ragweed may also get symptoms when they eat cantaloupe and banana. Chamomile tea, sunflower seeds and honey containing pollen from Compositae family members occasionally cause severe reactions to.
To find out exactly what the symptoms of ragweed allergies are, please check out our page dedicated to them.
What does ragweed look like?
So what does ragweed look like? There are many different species of ragweed, 41 to be exact and with many weeds and plants looking the same it can be hard to distinguish exactly which is which.
We have a page dedicated solely to the common ragweed genus species, so please check that you.
You will generally find that ragweed plants are green in color and resemble a fern. It normally ranges from a foot or two, unless it is the giant ragweed which can grow much taller, even in excess of eight feet. For pictures of ragweed plants please click here.
Find out about the symptoms of ragweed allergies
Unfortunately just making sure that you are not within touching distance of a ragweed plant is not good enough. The billions of grains of pollen that these plants produce can travel hundreds of miles when airborne, so just being outside during ragweed allergy season and breathing in the air is enough to produce ragweed allergy symptoms in the majority of sufferers.
Keeping your house and car windows shut to avoid pollen being brought into your home or workplace is a good course of action, as is staying indoors between 10am and 4pm, when pollen counts are at their highest.
By minimizing your exposure to the ragweed pollen you are reducing your chances of an allergic reaction causing you a problem. Prevention is the better course of action.
Besides talking about ragweed allergy, what the symptoms are and how best to relieve it, we also have a page all about other seasonal allergies that you may find of interest, so please check this out while you are online.
