Fall Allergies - Managing Your Symptoms | Catholic Health Long Island

What causes fall allergies?

Most people associate allergies with the spring months when the flowers are blooming and pollen is floating in the air. However, fall allergies are a common ailment among many people and the main culprit is often ragweed – with roughly 15 percent of Americans suffering from ragweed allergies

Ragweed is the most common cause of fall allergies. According to The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), nearly 50 million people in the U.S. have symptoms from an allergy to ragweed pollen in the late summer and early fall. Ragweed season starts in mid-August and continues through October.

A ragweed pollen allergy only causes symptoms when ragweed pollen is in the air. It is also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis or hay fever.

Fall allergies may also be triggered by:

Mold: Mold spores can grow in damp indoor and outdoor areas. Mold growth can increase in the warmth and humidity of the summer and continue through the fall. Outdoors during the fall season, a pile of wet leaves can cause mold spores to grow.
Dust Mites: Though most common in months with high humidity, dust mites can also enter the air when you first turn on your heat.
Pet Dander: Pets produce dander all year-round, but pets are often indoors more in the fall. This can trigger or exacerbate allergy symptoms.

Symptoms of fall allergies may include:

Runny nose
Nasal congestion
Postnasal drip
Sneezing
Coughing
Itchy and watery eyes
Swelling around the eyes
Scratchy throat
Fatigue
Recurring sinus infections

If you have asthma, a ragweed allergy can aggravate symptoms and cause coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

How are fall allergies diagnosed?

Speak with your primary care physician if you are experiencing symptoms or have a history of allergies. They will review your symptoms and may order blood tests or skin tests to properly diagnose your allergies. They may refer you to an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) specialist or allergist.

Allergy Testing

Scratch Test

The most common allergy test is a scratch test. With this test, the physician pricks or scratches certain allergens onto your skin. If you have an allergy, your skin will react by turning red, swelling or becoming bumpy. These tests are very reliable and you will often receive results within 15 minutes after exposure to the allergen.

Blood Test

Allergies can also be identified through blood testing. A blood test involves giving a sample of your blood and testing it for antibodies against ragweed pollen or other allergens. Results of blood tests may take a few days.

Fall Allergy Treatments

There are several non-prescription medications that may help to manage and ease allergy symptoms:

Steroid nasal spray to reduce inflammation in the nose
Antihistamine to reduce or stop sneezing and itching
Decongestant to relieve nasal stuffiness and dry up mucus
Eye drops to relieve itchy and watery eyes

“The best way to try to prevent or manage allergy symptoms is to avoid or stay away from the things you are allergic to. This of course, is not always possible, especially when some allergens are in the air we breathe. The good news is that there are over-the-counter medications that are generally very successful for managing most allergies.”

Jasmine Philip, DO, Catholic Health Physician

Tips for Managing Symptoms:

In addition to medication, there are certain things that you can do to help to decrease the severity of your symptoms.

Monitor the pollen count for your area. If the pollen count is high, try to stay indoors and keep the windows closed. Keep the windows closed when driving.
Avoid tracking pollen into your house after being outside. Take off your shoes, change your clothes and if possible, shower when you come in from outside. Don’t sit on furniture with the clothes you wore and wipe down pets.
Clean house vents and change filters before turning on the heat when the weather gets cooler.
If your home is damp or humid, a dehumidifier may help. A HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter can reduce the potential for mold growth and help remove other allergen particles to reduce pollutants that trigger allergies.
Wear a mask when doing outside chores like raking leaves or mowing the lawn.

If you have a history of allergies, make an action plan to talk to your doctor before the pollen count increases and your symptoms worsen.

Immunotherapy: A Proactive Approach to Managing Allergies

If you suffer from chronic or severe allergies, immunotherapy may be successful way to treat and ultimately reduce your allergy symptoms. This preventive treatment is designed to build up your tolerance to allergens, reducing the frequency and intensity of your allergic reactions over time.

How Does Immunotherapy Work?

The goal behind immunotherapy is gradual exposure. By slowly and consistently exposing your immune system to your allergens, the body learns to be less reactive.

The most common treatment is subcutaneous immunotherapy, where the patient is injected with tiny extracts of allergens. These allergy shots decrease your sensitivity to allergens and can often lead to lasting relief of allergy symptoms even after treatment is stopped.

However, this type of treatment is a long-term commitment. There are two phases to treatment:

The Build-up Phase involves receiving injections with increasing amounts of the allergens about one to two times per week. This phase generally ranges from three to six months.
The Maintenance Phase starts once an effective dose is reached. The maintenance dose depends on your level of allergen sensitivity and your response to the build-up phase. During this phase there are longer periods of time between injections. It may take as long as one year on the maintenance dose to notice an improvement. If these shots are successful, maintenance treatment is generally continued for three to five years.

While this is a long-term commitment, if successful, the end result can be a life where allergies are a minor annoyance rather than a major disruptor. About 85% of patients report a significant reduction or complete elimination of allergy symptoms with immunotherapy.

Speak with your primary care physician or allergist to see if this type of treatment is right for you.

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September 26, 2025

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Fall Allergies - Managing Your Symptoms