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?

Tree Allergies

Tree allergies can trigger symptoms in unknowing allergy sufferers even when sitting around a campfire this summer.

If you’re sneezing, congested and dabbing your watery eyes in the spring and early summer, blame your trees. Maple, mulberry, and oak trees bloom during this time of year predominantly. Ash, elm, juniper and pine bloom and pollinate at the tail-end of winter and finish by early spring. Asthma-related allergies are common with tree pollen and can be severe in some people. But did you know that even burning the wood from the trees that you are allergic to can trigger these same allergies year-round?

You can suffer the symptoms of tree allergies from wood-burning fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, campfires, even wood dust in woodworking or hobby shops. Inhaled wood dust, in itself, can be hazardous to your health over time. But there are specific types of wood that can worsen allergy symptoms. There are also a few that are toxic. Burning wood, or creating wood dust, releases pollen into the air causing an allergic reaction. This can be a major irritant for people sensitive to smoke. Mixing smoke with released airborne pollen can cause irritation to your eyes, nasal passages, and especially in your lungs. It is also possible to cause skin irritations, hives, and rashes on those who have skin sensitivities.

If you have a confirmed tree/wood allergy, it's important to check for a related family of that wood. Click here for a complete list of trees, their associated families and their associated symptoms. If you are allergic to one type of tree, you will share similar allergic symptoms with any in that related wood family.

Aside from avoiding being around burning wood, you can 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 these tree allergies. Speaking with your doctor or allergist can help to pinpoint exactly what allergen is causing your symptoms. When you know the root of the problem, it's much easier to take safeguards on being symptom-free.