Can Year-Round Allergens Become More Problematic in the Winter?

Can Year-Round Allergens Become More Problematic in the Winter?

Allergies aren’t static. You may go your entire youth without a sniffle. Then, in your 30s, you suddenly find yourself struggling with sneezing, a runny nose, and watery eyes. This isn’t uncommon. One in five adults develops allergies after age 20. Sometimes symptoms change over time. Some people find that their mild symptoms worsen or their allergies last all year.

Climate change is fueling allergies nationwide. Warmer weather is extending growing seasons by an average of two weeks. Flowers bloom earlier, and pollen-killing frosts occur later. Higher atmospheric carbon dioxide levels help plants grow larger, which means they release more pollen.

Year-round allergens such as dust mites, mold, and pet dander don’t go away. You must do your part to reduce allergens in the home, but it’s hard to eliminate them. That’s why it’s essential to understand your allergy triggers and take steps to manage your symptoms.

Understanding Year-Round Allergies in California and Why Allergies Worsen in the Winter

Seasonal allergies last several weeks and coincide with the blooming of flowers, leaves, and grasses. They’re linked to the outdoor environment.

Year-round allergies don’t go away. It’s been months and months of watery eyes, sneezing, nasal congestion, and a runny nose. Nothing gets rid of the symptoms for more than a temporary period. The allergens are usually tied to your indoor living environment, but you might also find year-round allergens outside.

Because the symptoms have lasted for months, your sinus pressure is extreme, and you always seem to have a headache. You’re tired, even after a full night’s sleep. Allergy medications help only so much because you’re constantly around your allergens. There’s no relief.

Respiratory health in the San Joaquin Valley is affected by climate and geography. Rainy winters, warmer days, and cooler nights create tule fog that traps particulate matter, such as wood smoke, car exhaust fumes, and manufacturing plant emissions, closer to the ground. If you’re susceptible to allergic asthma, the tule fog is a problem. 

Winters are rainy, which increases the risk of mold outside. Fallen leaves and pine needles, moisture on the ground, and the soil itself can all hide mold spores. If an area farmer turns the soil for winter and early-spring crops, those mold spores are airborne.

Year-round allergies are usually tied to your indoor environment. In Fresno’s winter, going outside might not offer the relief you hope for. Warmer temperatures are pushing cypress, elm, juniper, and oak trees to pollinate earlier. 

• Cypress – Peak in February and March
• Elm – Peak in March and April
• Juniper – Peak in March
• Oak – Peak in April

On top of your year-round allergies, seasonal allergies hit early and last longer. Staying inside feels bad, but time spent outside is worse. It seems there’s no respite anywhere you are.

The Indoor Environment Triggers Fresno Winter Allergies

The biggest reason year-round allergens worsen in the winter is the air-tight design of many homes. Once a heating system turns on, the goal is to keep warm air inside and cold air outside. That air-tight design also means there is no airflow from outside. 

Allergens are trapped in your home’s carpets, curtains, ducts, and bedding. They’re on your surfaces, circulating in the air, and entering your airways with each breath. You go to bed and stir up dust and dust mites. Open the blinds, and dust gets up your nose. Vacuum your carpets, and your allergies flare up.

The most common indoor allergens are:

• Cockroaches – The bodies, feces, and saliva of cockroaches contain a protein that causes allergic symptoms in some people. 
• Dust Mites – Microscopic mites that feed on things that make up the dust in your home, such as dead skin flakes and pet dander.
• Mold – Mold grows in damp environments. In the winter, showers steam up your bathroom, and poor ventilation causes that humidity to cling to windows, walls, and ceilings. Mold grows in that moisture and triggers inflammatory responses when you breathe in mold spores.
• Pet Dander – It’s not just skin flakes on a pet that cause allergies. It’s a protein in a pet’s saliva, skin, and urine that triggers an allergic reaction in people. 

You also have prolonged exposure to pollens like pigweed, ragweed, and sagebrush. Because winters remain mild, these weeds grow well for much of the year. When you’re outside, those pollen spores cling to your clothes and hair. As soon as you go inside, you carry the pollen into your home, creating another indoor allergen.

Symptoms of year-round allergies aren’t much different from seasonal allergies. Longevity is the biggest difference.

You can have both year-round and seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies occurring at the same time as the year-round allergies leave you feeling even worse.

Managing Winter Allergy Symptoms

When your allergies never ease, how do you manage the symptoms? You can’t power through the day with a headache, sinus pressure, constant sneezing, and other key symptoms. You need relief, and that starts with a few changes around your house.

One of the first changes to make is to install air purifiers in your home. Consider a whole-house air purifier or make sure you have smaller units in the rooms you use the most. HEPA air purifiers are best

Wash your bedding in hot water. If your washer has a bedding setting, use that to sanitize your sheets. You should wash your comforter and blankets each month as dust mites thrive in bedding.

If you do have pet dander allergies, don’t immediately rehome your pet. Look into the foods that lower the amount of triggering protein in the urine and saliva. Make sure your pet is bathed often enough to remove built-up dander. A dry shampoo helps if an actual bath isn’t possible. Get a washable cover for pet beds and wash it in hot water each month.

If your home has an HVAC system, change the air filter every month or two. You don’t want it to be so full that it can’t capture the dust, dander, and hair entering your ducts. Ask your HVAC company about UV sanitization that’s added to your ducts to kill bacteria, fungus, and viruses.

See an expert in allergy treatments. Allergens may last longer or trigger year-round allergies, but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer. Make an appointment at Premium Allergy & Respiratory Center to undergo allergy tests and develop effective, long-lasting immunotherapy treatments that help you live life to the fullest.