Spring brings with it budding flowers and blossoming trees, but also runny noses and watery eyes, with up to 30% of adults globally affected by pollen allergies. 

Many find themselves frantically searching the web for remedies to ease their symptoms, as illustrated by Ahref’s search data. There are 76k global monthly searches for “seasonal allergies” and a further 6.8k searches for “how to get rid of allergies”.

Data from AlsoAsked suggests that while sufferers are searching for relief, they are also questioning the sudden appearance of spring allergies, with frequently asked questions such as:

• Why am I getting spring allergies all of a sudden?
• How do I stop being allergic to pollen?
• What am I allergic to in spring?
• Why are my spring allergies so bad?

There are some common myths around seasonal allergies, so the experts at Allergy Insider have rounded up the top three to debunk them and share advice.

Spring allergies are only caused by pollen

While it’s true that there’s an increase in pollen during spring, summer, and even into early autumn, it’s wrong to assume that pollen is the only allergic trigger, pop an antihistamine, and call it a day. Not only are you playing a guessing game with your body, but you might also be trying to treat symptoms without knowing what is causing them.

When you encounter multiple substances you’re allergic to at the same time, they can add up, and that’s when you’ll start experiencing symptoms, and this is called the symptom threshold.

If you think of your symptom threshold as the rim of an empty cup and the allergens you’re exposed to as liquids, imagine adding a splash of pollen, a shot of pet dander, and a scoop of dust mites. Before you know it, your cup overflows, and your symptoms spiral out of control. However, by reducing exposure to one or two allergens, you can adjust this “cursed cocktail” to keep your cup from overflowing – meaning no itchy eyes, no sneezing, and no repeated trips to buy more antihistamines.

There’s a lot we can do to reduce exposure to sneaky indoor allergens that are just as capable of causing the sniffles. 

It’s impossible to know exactly what you’re allergic to

One of the most important actions you can take when, or even before, your allergy symptoms start acting up is to get tested for allergies. Specific IgE blood testing will help your healthcare provider pinpoint your allergic sensitisations. You’ll know what is causing allergic reactions and the steps to take to reduce or avoid exposure to them. And reducing exposure to those triggers can also help you manage symptoms – or even avoid them altogether. 

While you can’t get a test to determine non-allergic triggers, your healthcare provider can use the process of elimination based on your symptoms and test results. If your test results come back negative and yet allergy-like symptoms persist, your healthcare provider may suggest you take a look at other possible causes, including your environment, and do what you can to avoid those non-allergic culprits.

Only allergic triggers cause symptoms

It’s not just allergens that can cause allergy symptoms such as itchy eyes, a runny nose, and sneezing. Non-allergic triggers can cause them too. Using a new cleaning product or being around cigarette smoke are a few examples of non-allergic triggers. It’s possible that the symptoms you’re experiencing could be due to a non-allergic trigger, and it’s important to note that these triggers don’t biologically work the same way as allergic triggers, so antihistamines won’t help with relief. Some more examples include:

• Cigarette smoke
• Air pollution
• Cleaning supplies
• Perfumes and colognes
• Outdoor dust (such asdust storms)

So with spring around the corner and pollen allergies making themselves known, it is advised to get familiar with the facts.

For additional myth-busting and facts on spring allergies, head to “Five Spring Allergy Myths and What They Mean for You” on the Allergy Insider site.