What is the best medicine for grass allergies

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Grass Allergies

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Allergies to grass and weeds usually stem from the pollens the plants create. If fresh-cut grass or a walk in the park causes your nose to run or your eyes to itch, youre not alone. Grass can pose a problem for many people.

However, there are ways you can manage your grass allergy to keep reactions to a minimum. Read on to learn preventive methods and treatment options.

An allergic reaction occurs when you come in contact or breathe in a substance youre hypersensitive to. Grass allergies occur when you breathe in pollen coming from the type of grass that causes your immune system to attack.

If you suspect a grass allergy but havent received a diagnosis yet, your doctor may do a skin test to determine the existence of your allergies and to see what exactly may be causing them. Depending on the severity of your allergy, the allergen can cause various reactions in your body.

Grass pollen allergy symptoms can develop quickly or after a period of time after coming in contact with the allergen. The most common symptoms include:

If youre having mild difficulty breathing, contact your doctor. But if youre having severe trouble taking a breath, seek immediate medical attention.

You could be allergic to one type of grass or many. Identifying the type of grass causing your allergy can help you try to avoid it. The most common grasses that cause allergies are:

Johnsongrass
ryegrass
Bermuda grass
sweet vernal grass
Kentucky blue grass
timothy grass
orchard grass

The best way to treat your grass allergy is to avoid the allergen but this is easier said than done sometimes. Here are four steps to reduce your reactions to grass if you cant avoid it:

1. Reduce exposure

When you can, try to avoid being around the grass that irritates you. You may want to avoid mowing your lawn or have someone else do it.

Wear protective clothing to shield your skin and eyes from the grass. Dont put your laundry outside to dry. Pollen can stick to your clothes, towels, and sheets.

2. Watch the pollen count

If the grass pollen count is high, avoid going outside as much as possible. You can find the pollen count online. Learn when the season of highest grass pollen counts is in your area, too.

If you must go outdoors, wear a face mask for pollen. You can purchase online or at your local drugstore.

3. Keep the outdoors out

If youve been outside, change your clothes once you come indoors. Try to shower after exposure to grass.

Keep your windows closed in time of high pollen or if your grass is being mowed. This will help keep the grass pollen outside.

4. Use medication

If you have a mild allergy to grass, you can use over-the-counter allergy medication to combat the symptoms. If your allergy is more severe or frequent, your doctor may prescribe one of the following:

Most of your grass allergy symptoms can be easily managed by avoiding contact with your allergen. Having antihistamines and decongestants on hand or in your medicine cabinet can help during those situations where you have to be outdoors in close proximity to grass.

If youre experiencing extreme chest tightness and shortness of breath, seek immediate medical attention.

What If Youre Allergic to Grass? 11 Steps to Managing Grass Pollen Allergy | Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

If your allergies are worse in the spring and summer time, you may have a grass pollen allergy.

What Is a Grass Pollen Allergy?

Grasses are one of the most common causes of allergy. Each year, plants (including grasses) release tiny pollen grains to fertilize other plants of the same species. Unfortunately for people with grass allergies, this pollen triggers allergic reactions. Symptoms of a grass pollen allergy include:

Runny nose
Sneezing
Itchy nose, eyes, ears and mouth
Stuffy nose (nasal congestion)
Red and watery eyes
Swelling around the eyes

You may not see the grass pollen in the air, but your body can react to even small amounts.

Many people know pollen allergy as hay fever. Experts usually refer to pollen allergy as seasonal allergic rhinitis.

What Types of Grasses Cause Allergy Symptoms?

If you have a grass pollen allergy, you may be allergic to more than one type of grass.

There are hundreds of types of grasses, but only a few are responsible for allergy symptoms. Your geographic location may determine which grasses may be responsible for your symptoms.

The most common types of grasses that cause allergies are:

Bermuda
Johnson
Kentucky
Orchard
Rye
Sweet Vernal
Timothy

When Is the Grass Pollen Season?

In northern regions of the United States, grasses usually pollinate in the late spring or early summer. In southern regions, grasses may pollinate throughout many seasons and could trigger symptoms throughout the year.

These small, light and dry grass pollen grains are released into the air and can travel for hundreds of miles by the wind.

How Can I Prevent Allergic Reactions to Grass?

Here are 11 ways you can reduce allergic reactions to grass pollen:

How Can I Manage My Grass Allergy Symptoms?

The first step is to get properly tested and diagnosed. Once your allergist knows what specific allergens cause your symptoms, they can work with you to create a plan.

There are over-the-counter and prescription pills, liquids, or nasal sprays that can help reduce or prevent grass allergy symptoms. These medicines include antihistamines, decongestants, and nasal corticosteroids. Most allergy medicines work best when you start taking them before pollen season begins. This allows the medicine to prevent your body from releasing histamine and other chemicals that cause your symptoms.

But if you do not get complete relief from your grass pollen allergy symptoms from these medicines, you may benefit from immunotherapy (allergy shots). Immunotherapy is a long-term treatment that can help prevent or reduce the severity of allergic reactions. It can change the course of allergic disease by modifying the bodys immune response to allergens.

There are two types of immunotherapy available for grass allergy: allergy shots and allergy tablets.

Allergy shots Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) is given at your doctors office. It involves getting injections of allergens in an increasing dosage over time. During the course of immunotherapy, a person with grass allergy becomes progressively less sensitive to that allergen. You may experience relief within one to three years of starting SCIT. The most common side effects for SCIT include local reactions at the injection site, such as redness, itching, swelling, tenderness, and pain. Less common systemic reactions may include generalized redness, hives, itching, swelling, wheezing, and low blood pressure.
Allergy tablets Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is a form of immunotherapy that can be done at home. It is needle free and involves placing a tablet containing the allergen under your tongue for one to two minutes and then swallowing it. Treatment begins prior to the grass allergy season and continues throughout the grass allergy season. By taking these tablets every day, you may reduce your grass allergy symptoms. This treatment offers people with these allergies a potential alternative to allergy shots. SLIT tablets also have side effects and some may be serious, which is why its important to talk with your doctor about your treatment options.

Both forms of allergy immunotherapy (shots and tablets) are prescribed by your doctor. Talk to your doctor to get started on your allergy treatment plan.

Published June 2018, Updated June 2021

It is important to stay up-to-date on news about asthma and allergies. By joining our community and following our blog, you will receive news about research and treatments. Our community also provides an opportunity to connect with other patients who manage these conditions for support.

Seasonal allergies: Nip them in the bud

Relieve seasonal allergies with these tried-and-true techniques.
By Mayo Clinic Staff

Spring means flower buds and blooming trees and if you're one of the millions of people who have seasonal allergies, it also means sneezing, congestion, a runny nose and other bothersome symptoms. Seasonal allergies also called hay fever and allergic rhinitis can make you miserable. But before you settle for plastic flowers and artificial turf, try these simple strategies to keep seasonal allergies under control.

Reduce your exposure to allergy triggers

To reduce your exposure to the things that trigger your allergy signs and symptoms (allergens):

Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a good rain, which helps clear pollen from the air.
Avoid lawn mowing, weed pulling and other gardening chores that stir up allergens.
Remove clothes you've worn outside and shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair.
Don't hang laundry outside pollen can stick to sheets and towels.
Wear a face mask if you do outside chores.

Take extra steps when pollen counts are high

Seasonal allergy signs and symptoms can flare up when there's a lot of pollen in the air. These steps can help you reduce your exposure:

Check your local TV or radio station, your local newspaper, or the internet for pollen forecasts and current pollen levels.
If high pollen counts are forecasted, start taking allergy medications before your symptoms start.
Close doors and windows at night if possible or any other time when pollen counts are high.
Avoid outdoor activity in the early morning when pollen counts are highest.

Keep indoor air clean

There's no miracle product that can eliminate all allergens from the air in your home, but these suggestions may help:

Use air conditioning in your house and car.
If you have forced air heating or air conditioning in your house, use high-efficiency filters and follow regular maintenance schedules.
Keep indoor air dry with a dehumidifier.
Use a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your bedroom.
Clean floors often with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter.

Try an over-the-counter remedy

Several types of nonprescription medications can help ease allergy symptoms. They include:

Oral antihistamines. Antihistamines can help relieve sneezing, itching, a stuffy or runny nose, and watery eyes. Examples of oral antihistamines include cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy), fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy) and loratadine (Claritin, Alavert).
Corticosteroid nasal sprays. These medications improve nasal symptoms. Examples include fluticasone propionate (Flonase Allergy Relief), budesonide (Rhinocort Allergy) and triamcinolone (Nasacort Allergy 24 Hour). Talk to your health care provider about long-term use of corticosteroid nasal sprays.
Cromolyn sodium nasal spray. This nasal spray can ease allergy symptoms by blocking the release of immune system agents that cause symptoms. It works best if treatment is started before exposure to allergens. It's considered a very safe treatment, but it usually needs to be used 4 to 6 times daily.
Oral decongestants. Oral decongestants such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) can provide temporary relief from nasal stuffiness. Some allergy medications combine an antihistamine with a decongestant. Examples include cetirizine-pseudoephedrine (Zyrtec-D 12 Hour), fexofenadine-pseudoephedrine (Allegra-D 12 Hour Allergy and Congestion) and loratadine-pseudoephedrine (Claritin-D). Talk to your health care provider about whether the use of a decongestant is good for treating your allergy symptoms.

Rinse your sinuses

Rinsing your nasal passages with saline solution (nasal irrigation) is a quick, inexpensive and effective way to relieve nasal congestion. Rinsing directly flushes out mucus and allergens from your nose.

Saline solutions can be purchased ready-made or as kits to add to water. If you use a kit or home-made saline solution, use bottled water to reduce the risk of infection.

Homemade solutions should have 1 quart (1 liter) of water, 1.5 teaspoons (7.5 milliliters) of canning salt and 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of baking soda.

Rinse the irrigation device after each use with clean water and leave open to air-dry.

Alternative treatments

A number of natural remedies have been used to treat hay fever symptoms. Treatments that may improve symptoms include extracts of the shrub butterbur, spirulina (a type of dried algae) and other herbal remedies. Based on the limited number of well-designed clinical trials, there is not enough evidence to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of these remedies.

Results of studies of acupuncture have shown possible limited benefit, but the results of studies have been mixed.

Talk to your doctor before trying alternative treatments.

When home remedies aren't enough

For many people, avoiding allergens and taking nonprescription medications is enough to ease symptoms. But if your seasonal allergies are still bothersome, don't give up. A number of other treatments are available.

If you have bad seasonal allergies, your health care provider may recommend that you have skin tests or blood tests to find out exactly what allergens trigger your symptoms. Testing can help determine what steps you need to take to avoid your specific triggers and identify which treatments are likely to work best for you.

For some people, allergy shots (allergen immunotherapy) can be a good option. Also known as desensitization, this treatment involves regular injections containing tiny amounts of the substances that cause your allergies. Over time, these injections reduce the immune system reaction that causes symptoms. For some allergies, treatment can be given as tablets under the tongue.

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Feb. 28, 2024

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