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Pollen
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What is pollen? |
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Pollen is the cells of flowering plants, including trees, grasses, and weeds. Pollen is microscopic in size.
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Pollen is the most common cause of seasonal allergic rhinitis, sometimes known as "hay fever."
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Which plants produce pollen that cause allergic reactions? |
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Plants that have powdery granules of pollen that are easily blown by the wind, include the following: |
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- trees - oak, western red cedar, elm, birch, ash, hickory, poplar, sycamore, maple, cypress, walnut, and others.
- grasses - timothy, Bermuda, orchard, sweet vernal, red top, some blue grasses, and others.
- weeds - ragweed, sagebrush, pigweed, tumbleweed, Russian thistle, cockleweed, and others.
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Most flowering plants, such as roses, have heavier, waxy pollens that do not trigger allergies.
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When is "pollen season?" |
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Each plant has a pollen season. It usually starts in the spring, but may begin as early as January in the western areas of the US. The season usually lasts until October.
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Can allergic rhinitis in pollen season be prevented? |
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To lessen the effects of allergic rhinitis during pollen season, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology suggests the following: |
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- Keep windows closed at night and use air conditioning - which cleans, cools, and dries the air.
- Minimize outdoor activities early in the morning, between 5:00 and 10:00 a.m., when pollen is most prevalent.
- Keep car windows closed when traveling.
- Take vacations in areas where pollen is not as prevalent - such as the ocean.
- Give your child his/her medications, as prescribed by his/her physician.
- Minimize your child's time spent outdoors when the pollen count is high.
- Do not rake leaves or have your child jump in piles of raked leaves during pollen season.
- Do not hang your child's bedding or clothing outside to dry.
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