Think Hay Fever Season Is Over? Think Again – Fall Allergies Are On The Way

September can be an exciting time: back-to-school season, cozy fall fashion, all things pumpkin, cinnamon, and apple (choose your fighter) – and for many, an end to the horrors of hay fever. But not so fast: allergies don’t magically disappear with the turning of the calendar. Seasonal allergies can affect people pretty much all year round, so here’s what you should know about fall allergies.

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What causes seasonal allergies in the fall?

The main allergen at this time of year, according to a recent statement from the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (ACAAI), is ragweed. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) estimates that nearly 50 million people in the US have symptoms caused by ragweed pollen.

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is native to North America but has been introduced to Europe and other parts of the world as an invasive species. It’s known to be highly allergenic, even causing symptoms to develop in people who’ve never been affected by pollen allergies before.

These symptoms include sneezing, nasal congestion, and eye irritation. Ragweed pollen is at its peak between mid-August and mid-September, later than the trees and grasses responsible for most spring/summer hay fever.

Other plants that can trigger allergies in the fall include:

• Burning bush (Euonymus alatus)
• Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
• Nettle (Urtica dioica)
• Prickly Russian thistle, AKA tumbleweed (Salsola tragus)

Another big trigger as the weather starts to cool and the leaves drop from the trees is mold. Some mold species spread their spores more easily in foggy or otherwise humid weather. Unlike pollen, molds can survive the first frosts, so may continue to trigger allergy symptoms as we head towards winter.

“Many molds grow on rotting logs and fallen leaves, in compost piles, and on grasses and grains,” explains the AAFA. It may be a classic autumnal activity, but frolicking in piles of leaves is probably not the best idea if mold triggers your allergies – and anyway, skipping the rake is better for your garden.

What can you do about fall allergies?

Sneezing, wheezing, and streaming eyes don’t tend to feature on fall aesthetic Pinterest boards. Anyone with allergies knows the desperation of trying anything for some relief – though we’d steer clear of the approach taken by Cahn the gibbon from Melbourne Zoo, who managed to get a blade of grass stuck up his nose as he tried to scratch an itch.

Thankfully for us, the experts at the ACAAI are on hand with four top tips to cope with the next round of seasonal allergies.

First up, they recommend you start any allergy medications you take as soon as possible, preferably two weeks before you usually experience symptoms. Continue taking them for two weeks after the first frost – ragweed allergy symptoms can persist even when the pollen itself is long gone.

It’s also useful to identify your specific triggers so you can avoid them. A board-certified allergist can help with that. You can also consult your GP or family doctor, who should be able to point you in the right direction.

If you’ve tried all the meds and they just aren’t cutting it anymore, there may be other options available. Allergy immunotherapy involves gradual exposure to your specific allergens over time with the aim of building up immune tolerance, so you no longer have a reaction. Again, speak to an allergist or your regular doctor to find out if this might be an option for you.

And finally, the ACAAI warns that we must “prepare to battle with mold”. That means mold inside the home as well as outdoors. Both can cause worse symptoms in the fall, so you’re going to want to look for and deal with any water leaks, clean your gutters, and try to keep indoor humidity below 60 percent to prevent mold growth as much as possible.

How can you tell if it’s allergies or a respiratory tract infection?

The beginning of fall, and especially the back-to-school season, also heralds an upswing in cases of respiratory viruses. We’re not at peak RSV and flu season quite yet – though it’s a good time to start thinking about getting your shots – but the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at time of writing show a slight increase in positive COVID-19 tests in the US in the last week of August. And of course, there’s always the common cold waiting to ruin your day.

It can be really hard to tell whether your runny nose is down to allergies or a virus. If you can get hold of a COVID test, that could help rule out at least one potential culprit, but the common cold and seasonal allergies have lots of overlapping symptoms.

In the table below, we’ve compiled some of the most common symptoms of infections and allergies, which might help you to separate the two – but this is not going to be 100 percent perfect, so if you’re feeling rough and you’re not sure why, it’s best to seek medical advice from a pharmacist or doctor.

Allergies don’t have to totally ruin fall – but just be aware that the changing of the season doesn’t necessarily mean you can shelve those allergy medicines until next summer.

All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.