What is a ragweed pollen allergy and how can you treat it?

20th May 2020

What is a ragweed pollen allergy and how can you treat it?

When summer arrives, we might have a new problem to contend with. The invasive ragweed is set to cause havoc for hay fever sufferers. Allergies are bad enough in the summer, but an estimated 13.5 million people across Europe will have trouble thanks to the ragweed’s pollen.

It isn’t a species native to our continent, so where did it come from? How will it affect your allergies? And could a non-native beetle be the answer to reducing the amount of ragweed?

What is ragweed?

Ragweed comes from North America and has somehow found its way over to Europe. It can now be found in 30 European countries, including here in the UK. Its pollen can trigger hay fever reactions such as sneezing and itchy eyes, even going as far as aggravating other conditions, such as eczema and asthma.

It thrives in the summer as the ideal conditions are cool nights and warm, dry days. We might not get many of those over here, but there’s still plenty of opportunities for them to do their damage.

Depending on the conditions, it can carry through to September and has even been known to drag on through to November in the USA. That is less likely to happen here, but the idea of pollen allergies sticking around in autumn and winter is not something many want to entertain.

The North American ragweed leaf beetle

New research suggests the answer to the ragweed problem is the aptly named ragweed leaf beetle. It comes from the same continent as the ragweed itself, and their appetite for its pollen can reduce symptoms in millions of people.

If their model is correct, researchers predict the beetle could reduce the number of people affected from 13.5 million to 11.2 million. This would also help reduce the estimated cost on our healthcare systems – it costs £6.5 billion per year.

They are already trialling using the beetle in Italy but don’t expect it to happen here quickly. Introducing foreign species into a new ecosystem is always a risk that needs assessing. Australia is already a country that has decided against this course of action. Another mark against us is our climate; the beetle thrives in warmer temperatures so they might not survive here.

If you have hay-fever-like allergies this summer, it might be the ragweed. To fight off the symptoms, you can follow many of the same tips we’ve given for hay fever in the past. You can also use the same anti-allergy medication too. As always, check with your doctor before you try any new medication.

Whether it’s hay fever, ragweed pollen, or any other allergy, the symptoms are never fun. They can be a drag on your life and ruin your mood. Don’t let your allergies control you – get in touch with us today to talk to a professional allergist.

Conquering your summer allergy

9th July 2018

Conquering your summer allergy

With summer upon us, we will be filling our streets and green spaces with people enjoying the sun in all its glory. But, if you suffer from a summer allergy, you know that this isn’t always the case. With millions of people suffering from hayfever throughout the UK, which has been increasing recently due to many people developing it in their middle-aged years, summer isn’t always the best time for everyone.

But there are a few things you can do to help fight those runny noses, sneezes, and puffy eyes.

Get tested

If you find yourself dealing with constant sneezing, and itchy or puffy eyes during the summer, then it’s highly likely that you have an allergy. If you haven’t already been tested to find out what’s causing it, this is the first step on your way to a slightly better summer.

Knowing what the principal culprits are could seriously help you avoid overexposure to them. The most common summer allergens include:

• Weeds – ragweed, cockleweed, pigweed, Russian thistle, sagebrush, and tumbleweed.
• Mould – Mucur Racemosus, Cladosporium Herbarum, Alterniaria Tenuis.
• Grasses – Bermuda, blue grasses, fescue, Bahia grass, Timothy, Johnson and rye.

Filter indoor air

The summer can be unbearable sometimes, especially in houses made of solid brick without air conditioning. But that being said, ensuring your indoor air is filtered will help you when it comes to your allergies.

You can do this by keeping windows and doors closed, and although it may be warm, fans are always a handy device to have around (although they aren’t without their own issues).

Know when to go out

Some days will be better for you than others. So ensuring you keep an eye on the daily pollen count will be highly beneficial to you.

If you know what allergens can trigger your symptoms, this will also be extremely helpful. It’s always important to find out exactly what’s to blame, as different months have higher levels of different allergens, for example:

• June – the key month for grass pollen.
• July – beginning of mould spore season.
• August – this is when ragweed begins to emerge.

Dry clothes indoors

The sun may be shining, and the weather may be hot. You’ll probably be making the most of it by drying your washing in the sun. You’ll probably find you have a lot more washing during the summer too. But, if you suffer from summer allergies dry them inside. You should be able to prevent airborne allergens from getting trapped in the fibres by doing this – meaning all that hard work washing them away would have been wasted. Instead, opt for clothes dryers you can pop up inside.

An allergen-free bedroom

Keeping your bedroom free of summer allergens could drastically help you reduce your symptoms. You can do this by changing your bedding regularly and by ensuring that clothes hampers are moved to another room; you could even change out of clothes in other rooms to avoid your room being full of pollen.

If you’ve been suffering from sneezing, puffy eyes or something similar and you don’t know the cause, maybe it’s time to book an appointment with a specialist consultant. At the London Allergy and Immunology Centre, we can test for over 100 different allergies at once to diagnose your symptoms and find the most effective treatments. Book an appointment here to take the first steps to living a more comfortable, symptom-free summer.

Ragweed – new allergen is increasing in the UK

4th December 2017

Ragweed – new allergen is increasing in the UK

It is that time of year again. The sound of Christmas songs full of cheer and snow fill your ears. But all you can focus on is the never-ending snot dripping out of your nose. Your head is pounding; you want to stick a pencil down your throat and scratch it, and you can’t stop sneezing. It is not precisely the holly jolly Christmas that you expected.

Hay fever is becoming more and more common throughout the UK and Europe. This is due to the rise in warmer autumns and winters over the last few years. The increase in temperature is causing a rapid growth of a pesky plant known as ragweed. This herbaceous rebel is wreaking havoc on an increasing amount of citizens each year.

Warmer weather in the UK

The ever-increasing temperatures in summer, autumn, and spring are propelling the growth of ragweed. This October, according to the metoffice.gov.uk, the average temperature across the UK was warmer than usual, which is nice for people who enjoy meandering outside, but worrisome for those with pollen allergies and asthma.

Last year, “the UK mean temperature was 5.9 °C, which is 2.0 °C above the 1981-2010 long-term average, and the eighth warmest December in a series from 1910″. Unfortunately, ragweed grows at a much quicker rate under a warmer climate and the allergen-causing plant now, reportedly, is the cause of many prolonged hay fever symptoms worldwide. To make matters worse, ragweed can grow back after its removal and its pollen tends to live on for many, many years.

Due to the steady increase in ragweed, hay fever sufferers will experience an onset of symptoms, ones that should not be mistaken for the common cold.

For help and advice relating to hay fever and allergies, please book an appointment with our consultants on our website.