Still sneezing long after the spring and summer pollen season has been and gone? There are more causes of hay fever – or allergic rhinitis – than just the warmer seasonal grass pollens. If you are still suffering with symptoms of hay fever in autumn, there are a few likely culprits. From late season pollens to year round allergens, discover what could be causing your fall allergies.
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Hay fever is more than just a spring problem
When you think of hay fever, you probably think of spring time. It’s the growing season when may plants start to produce flowers and pollen. Advertisements often start appearing for antihistamines and nasal sprays. If you suffer from hay fever (allergic rhinitis), spring might also be when your symptoms start.
Symptoms of hay fever include sneezing, itchy and watery eyes and sometimes an itchy mouth or scratchy throat. For people with asthma, pollens and other allergens can also be a trigger for asthma flares.
Even if your hay fever trigger is pollen, there may be local trees, weeds and grasses that produce pollens through summer and into the autumn/fall. Sometimes hay fever symptoms are caused by things in your environment that are present all year round.
Pollens in autumn
While many trees and grasses produce allergy-causing pollens in late winter and spring, there are some species that flower through late summer and into autumn. Weeds are a significant source of pollen in autumn too. There are also some plants that produce pollen all year round. The types of pollen in season will depend on where you live and the local climate.
Some plants that produce pollen in autumn include:
- grasses like Bahia, Bermuda, Timothy and Johnson grasses that continue to create pollen through summer and into early autumn; and
- weeds like ragweed, mugwort and English plantain.
Plants that can produce pollen all year round include:
- Casuarina (Australian Oak/ She Oak) trees; and
- Bermuda grass, which peaks in summer and autumn but can be present all year
You can check which plants are a problem in your area by checking local pollen calendars. See for example:
- Australia – ASCIA pollen calendar
- United Kingdom – Asthma & Lung UK pollen calendar
- USA – National Allergy Bureau, for local pollen and mold levels
Year round allergies
Pollen may be a mostly seasonal allergy, but there are other things that can cause persistent symptoms of hay fever symptoms in autumn and throughout the year. These are known as ‘perennial allergens’. Some of the most common causes of year round allergies are house dust mites, mould (mold) and animals, including pets.
House dust mites
Everyone in our family is allergic to house dust mites. These microscopic creatures are everywhere and very difficult to get rid of. They especially love to live in bedding and soft furnishings like curtains, carpets and rugs. If you are allergic to dust mites, you are actually allergic to what they leave behind (the exo-skeletons they shed and their droppings).
There are some really effective practical steps you can take to minimise your exposure to house dust mite allergen. The most important thing we do is to concentrate on where we sleep. We use dust mite covers on our mattresses, pillows and quilts and make sure we regularly hot wash our bedding tor remove allergens.
It’s also very important to clean regularly. This includes dusting with a damp cloth and vacuuming any carpets and soft furnishings using a vacuum with a HEPA filter. For more tips, see our post about how to get rid of dust mites.
Mould allergies
While it can be a problem all year round, mould (or mold for our US friends) is actually more of a problem in autumn. Mold thrives in damp places. And cool, damp autumn weather is when our homes can start to have moisture problems. This can be due to hidden leaks, but can also just be because we are closing up our homes to keep them warmer.
Without good ventilation, condensation and moisture can build up from daily activities like cooking and washing, and even just from the air we breathe out while we sleep. Mould can hide in everything from bath toys and sinks to indoor plants and clothes.
There are lots of different types of mould. Common allergy-causing moulds include alternaria, cladosporium and aspergillus. We have family members with allergies to multiple types of mould, so have to take care to reduce moisture and mointor for mould. Dehumidifiers and moisture absorbers can be very helpful for prevention. It’s also very important to treat mould quickly if you do find any lurking in your home.
Read more about common (and unexpected) sources of moisture and mould, and how to prevent and treat it, in our post about mould allergies at home.
Allergies to pets and animals
People who are allergic to animals or pets are often allergic to their dander. This is the flakes of dead skin shed by our cats, dogs and even birds. Proteins from a pet’s saliva or urine can cause allergies too (which is what happens in our family).
Pet allergies can get worse in autumn. We tend to keep our fluffy, furry and feathered friends inside more as the weather cools. Combining this with less fresh air and ventilation means that there can be more allergen inside our homes.
In our family we have allergies to dogs, feathers and guinea pigs – and lots of pets! – so we need to take extra care to reduce the amount of allergen inside. This can include limiting which rooms our pets are allowed in and regular cleaning, including vacuuming with a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. You can read more about the practical ways we manage our dog allergies and guinea pig allergies in our posts about these pet allergies.
More about hay fever and allergic rhinitis
For practical tips about managing the allergies that cause hay fever in autumn and all year round, make sure to have a look at our posts on:
If your hay fever symptoms are bothering you after taking all the practical steps you can to reduce your exposure, make a time to speak to your doctor about other options to manage your symptoms. You may even need a referral to an allergy specialist who can do allergy testing for hay fever. They can also advise if immunotherapy (desensitisation treatment) may be a good option for you
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*Disclaimer: Allergy Spot does not provide medical advice. You should always consult a suitably qualified medical practitioner in respect of your own medical conditions, symptoms or concerns. See our Website Terms for more details.
