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After a long Houston summer, we're all ready for cool evenings. But when nighttime temperatures drop below 70 degrees, and humidity drops below 70%, ragweed starts to grow. Ragweed is the main source of allergic misery for those who suffer in September and October. Ragweed will continue to make pollen until early November unless we get an early freeze.
Interestingly, several foods cross-react with ragweed. If you are allergic to ragweed, you may experience itching or tingling of the lips or tongue when you eat cantaloupe, watermelon or bananas while ragweed pollen counts are high. Interestingly, by cooking the related food, heat will alter the structure of the antigen, usually making it non-allergenic. Drinking chamomile tea may cause a similar reaction.
Ragweed puts out more pollen in the mornings than in the evenings, so if you're allergic to it, save outside activities for late afternoon or after a heavy rain, when pollen levels are lower.
We've been waiting all summer to roll down the windows in our car, but if you're allergic to ragweed, this is asking for trouble. Take advantage of the filtering system in your car's HVAC system to keep symptoms in check. If you have an indoor dog that goes outside to play for a while, consider giving him/her a bath; dog fur has a static charge which acts as a transport mechanism to bring in all sorts of pollen.
Ragweed is named for the raggedy shape of its leaves. It's not a very pretty plant; still, what it lacks in beauty, it makes up for in potency. One ragweed plant can put out over one billion grains of pollen! Its scientific name, Ambrosia, was the delicious food eaten by the mythical Greek gods to make them live forever.
Remember, if you're on one of those preventative steroid nose sprays (e.g., Nasonex, Rhinocort, or Nasacort), start it soon so it will be working when ragweed pollen hits its peak.
©2008 The Allergy Clinic, Specialists in Adult and Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Care
