Wisconsin Allergy Season: Peak, Timing, and Symptoms

Wisconsin is one of the best states if you suffer from seasonal allergies, however, that doesn’t mean it’s completely allergy-free. Spring, summer, and fall can still produce unpleasant symptoms for Wisconsin residents, despite the state’s mild temperature and brutally frigid winters.

It’s also crucial to remember that indoor allergens like dust, mildew, and pet dander are present all year, even if seasonal allergies aren’t as severe. What kinds of seasonal allergens, then, should Wisconsin residents be on the lookout for? What can you do to lessen the impact of these allergies? In this piece, we’ll try to respond to these concerns.

When Is Allergy Season In Wisconsin?

Wisconsin has a somewhat shorter allergy season than the rest of the country. If you live in an area that experiences lengthy, harsh winters, you probably won’t need to start worrying about spring allergies until later. The beginning of the season is often delayed until April or even later. The end of allergy season often coincides with the first frost.

Peak Timing

The worst time of year for allergies in Wisconsin is generally between the middle of March and the end of May when tree pollen is in the air. A major offender, though, can be ragweed. The flowering season lasts from August to November. Below, we’ll discuss what to expect from specific plant triggers in Wisconsin.

Which Plants Cause Allergies In Wisconsin?

Most people in Wisconsin experience seasonal allergies during the spring, summer, and fall.

Spring

When the temperature rises in Wisconsin, the allergy season begins. This may not occur until March on rare occasions. In the spring, ash, hickory, maple, mulberry, oak, walnut, and willow pollen will be the most problematic for people with tree-pollen allergies.

Summer

Wisconsin suffers from grass allergy symptoms during the summer. Grass allergies typically begin in May and last through July. Allergies to grasses are most severe when exposed to bent, fescue, orchard, ryegrass, and timothy grasses.

Fall

Then, in the fall, weed allergies hit. As early as late August, many people start experiencing symptoms of fall allergies, and they can last all the way through the first frost of winter. Orache, ragweed, sagebrush, and wormwood pollen are likely to cause the most severe reactions in those with weed allergies.

Winter

Wisconsin’s long winters should be a welcome relief from allergy season. However, indoor allergens such as cockroaches, dust, dander, and mold can still cause problems in the colder months.

Common Allergy Symptoms

In the same way that the rest of the country deals with grass, tree, and weed allergies, so does Wisconsin. Indoor allergens might be just as much of a problem for locals.

These allergic symptoms are common in Wisconsin:

• Congestion
• Coughing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Headaches
• Hives
• Red, watery eyes
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Worsening asthma symptoms

Allergies can cause some or all of the symptoms listed above, though sensitivities will vary from person to person.

Control Your Exposure

It is true that allergies can cause a lot of discomforts, but there are several options for alleviating the symptoms.

Keeping yourself prepared for high-pollen days by checking the pollen count with a website or app is a good idea. You can stay indoors if at all feasible and use a mask if you must go outside.

Trim trees and lawns to lessen pollen production. The best option is to have someone else do it for you.

Make sure your home is clean and as free of pollen as possible by using one of the many methods available. A HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner and regular dusting can make a difference. Adding a HEPA filter to your air conditioner is also a smart move.

Since pollen is both light and sticky, it will inevitably attach to your hair, clothing, and skin. If you suffer from allergies, you should take more showers and wash more laundry than usual.

Keep outdoor pets clean. Whenever a dog goes outside, the fur on his body picks up pollen and other allergens from the environment and brings them inside. Keep them neat and clean by brushing them outside often.

Allergy Medications

Over the Counter

It’s possible that you’ll need to try over-the-counter allergy medicine if reducing your exposure doesn’t help. Antihistamines, eye drops, decongestants, and nasal sprays are the most often used and effective treatments. If over-the-counter medications aren’t alleviating your symptoms, you may want to talk to your doctor about prescription alternatives. Medication can help alleviate allergy symptoms in the short term, but it won’t solve the problem permanently.

Prescriptions

If over-the-counter remedies aren’t alleviating your symptoms, your doctor may prescribe something stronger. They might also suggest seeing an allergist or immunologist for additional testing or treatment.

Allergy Testing

You are not alone if you have trouble identifying what triggers your allergies. During allergy season, there is usually so much pollen in the air that it’s difficult to pinpoint a certain plant as the culprit. But an allergy test can quickly and simply disclose your core allergens, as well as those you might not have thought considered.

Immunotherapy

Although avoiding triggers and medicating allergy symptoms may help, they won’t address the underlying problem of an overactive immune system. You might want to try sublingual immunotherapy allergy drops if you’re hoping for permanent relief from your allergies.

Drops for treating allergies gradually expose the body to your allergen. The immune system learns to ignore these invaders in the future, rather than reacting to them, which reduces the risk of allergic reactions.

Click here to learn about all of the allergy seasons across the United States!

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