Grass Pollen

Grass pollen – just when you thought it was safe to go outside.

Spring is over and you are rejoicing because allergy season is coming to an end.  Summer is in the air.  You step outside and ah chooo…. your allergies kick back in and you feel miserable.  Guess what? You are probably allergic to grass pollen. 

Grass pollen is a common trigger for allergies and symptoms like runny or stuffy nose, red, itchy eyes and that annoying tickle at the back of your throat. 

Why at this time of year?

Grasses tend to start growing in the early spring. In the late spring and early summer, they release pollen into the air. The wind can carry it for miles. You may not see pollen in the air but wind-carried microscopic pollen is the worst culprit for allergies.

Below is the list of most common allergy causing grasses:

·         Bermuda grass

·         Johnson grass

·         Kentucky bluegrass

·         Orchard grass

·         Redtop grass

·         Rye grass

·         Sweet vernal grass

·         Timothy grass

What days are going to bring out the worst in my grass allergies?

Dry, windy days. Wind carries pollen in the air, especially when it's dry and sunny. When it's cold or damp, pollen counts are usually lower.

Eating certain foods. If you're allergic to grasses, your allergy symptoms are more likely to be triggered by certain fruits and vegetables that have proteins like those in pollen. Fresh celery, melons, peaches, oranges, and tomatoes are just a few you might want to avoid.

Unmowed grass. Most types of grass release pollen only when they grow tall. The pollen comes from a feathery flower that grows at the top. If you keep your lawn short, the grass is less likely to release pollen.

Obviously, don’t cut your own grass.  Delegate. 

To help with grass or other pollen related allergies Sublingual Immunotherapy is a method of allergy treatment that uses an allergen solution given under the tongue. Over time, sensitivity to allergens are reduced. In 1998 the World Health Organization concluded that Sublingual Immunotherapy was a viable alternative to the injection route and that its use in clinical practice is justified. 

Texas Trees Allergies

Texas Trees Allergies– and a trip to the Forestry Museum.

Have you visited the Texas Forestry Museum?   It’s one of the largest museums of its kind in the United States.  It is a fun place for the whole family to look at the past, present and future of trees - How we grow trees, harvest trees, transport trees, process trees, and use trees in our daily lives. Featured exhibits include Sawmill Town, Paper Mill, Money Trees, logging train, fire tower, and Urban Wildscape Trail.

Texas trees are not always viewed as icons of the state. The Lone Star State, usually brings visions of cattle, cowboys and oil wells. However, between 1890 and 1900, the timber business of Texas brought more money to the economy of the state than any other industry.

The 14 million acres of the East Texas Pineywoods are still important to Texas. Sawmills, logging railroads, and modern forest management have all influenced East Texas culture. The story of the people, places and products of the Pineywoods are the focus of the exhibits at the Texas Forestry Museum.

Why, because even though 1 out of 6 Americans suffer tree allergies, Texans love their trees.  They are great for climbing, for getting some desperately needed August shade or as easy-to-remember landmarks for locals giving directions to tourists or new comers.

The Texas trees are beautiful and it’s no wonder the Forest Service has designated a growing number of "Famous Trees of Texas." In the past 40-plus years, they've given the designation to 87 trees, 65 of which are still living.

The trees can be famous for their beauty, for their historical significance or for having a special place in the hearts of locals.  Do you celebrate the Texas trees or curse them for the allergies they induce every Spring and Fall?

Don’t miss out on the Texas Forestry Museum exhibits or a chance for a fun family vacation.   Plan ahead by taking an allergy medication or supplement such as Allergena Trees, Weeds, and Grass.  Using  this product once daily, can act as a supplement to lessen the severity of  tree allergies. 

Pollen Allergies

Pollen Allergies – Which trees make me sneeze?

Pollen allergies and the trees that make us sneeze are the trees without showy flowers which are wind-pollinated.  Their pollen is light and produced in great abundance, far more than that of insect-pollinated trees. These are the trees that cause hay fever during the spring months.

Not all the wind-pollinated trees cause problems for people with allergies. Pines and spruce, for example, have a waxy pollen that rarely cause a reaction. The pollen of birches, poplars, ashes and several maples, on the other hand, are the bane of people who suffer seasonal allergies.

Then again, we don’t want to give wind-pollinated trees a bad name.  Many are dioecious, having male and female flowers borne on different plants. For these trees, there is an easy solution to the pollen problem.  Simply plant female trees only. They receive pollen, but never produce it.
If it were only that simply, these days we decidedly plant “seedless” trees (the male), especially in urban and suburban settings.

Why are male trees so popular? It’s because they’re clean.  Male trees produce only pollen, which is usually invisible. They never produce seeds that fall to the ground and accumulate, potentially blocking gutters and drains and adding to our yard work.

Female trees don’t produce pollen, but instead all those annoying seeds. That’s why cities and subdivisions generally avoid female trees.  But by choosing “neatness” as the ideal criteria for tree selection and planting almost only male trees, cities are causing hay fever to run amok.

In an ideal world all the trees that make us sneeze would be replaced by non-allergenic trees.   People would ban together to promote girl trees, figure out how to save the world with all those extra seeds all for the good of our health.

That day has not yet arrived. People with Pollen allergies still suffer from the trees that make us sneeze.  How do we defend ourselves from all this maleness?