Allergy Season in New Braunfels
What ENT Specialists Want You to Know
Imagine waking up one day with nasal congestion, breathing difficulties, sinus pressure, mucus dripping down the back of your throat, headaches, and frequent sneezing. What’s worse is that these symptoms continue to persist for days, to the point of affecting your day-to-day activities, productivity, sleep, and comfort.
New Braunfels, TX, is home to beautiful landscapes, a lively and rich culture, warm weather that can last almost all year-round, and diverse plant life. While beautiful for the most part, a combination of these factors can cause major concerns for many allergy sufferers.
This guide from New Braunfels Breathe Free can help patients understand the Texas allergy season, what might be contributing to their symptoms, and what they can do to support allergy symptom management.
What Are Seasonal Allergies?
Seasonal allergies are allergic reactions to airborne allergens that are more prevalent during certain times of the year, particularly pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds.
As the name suggests, seasonal allergies occur during certain seasons. Depending on what your triggers are and the growing season for these triggers, you may experience allergy symptoms during only one or some seasons, or you may experience common symptoms throughout the rest of the year.
Symptoms of seasonal allergies vary significantly per individual, depending on their triggers, the severity of their allergy condition, and the manner in which they come into contact with the allergen.
Common symptoms of seasonal allergies include:
✔️ Frequent sneezing
✔️ Nasal congestion, which causes breathing difficulties
✔️ Itchy, watery, and red eyes
✔️ Runny nose with thin, clear, and watery nasal discharge
✔️ Postnasal drip, or mucus dripping down the back of the throat
✔️ Coughing
✔️ Itchy nose, throat, or roof of the mouth
✔️ Poor quality or lack of sleep, causing daytime sleepiness or fatigue
Allergy Season in New Braunfels, TX: What You Should Know
New Braunfels, TX, is home to a rich and diverse plant life. Many different species of plants, trees, grasses, and weeds release pollen at varying times throughout the year. The relatively warm weather year-round can also create a difficult environment for many allergy sufferers, due to the extended allergy season.
Here’s a quick look at the allergy season in New Braunfels:
Summer
The summer season in New Braunfels and the rest of the state of Texas is grass allergy season, with Bermuda, timothy, and sweet vernal grasses being the main culprits in causing major allergy issues for many sensitive individuals.
Fall
During the fall season, many New Braunfels residents, much like the rest of the state, will have to deal with high concentrations of ragweed pollen, which is the major allergy trigger during this time. Because ragweed pollen is light, it can easily travel through the air and spread across the state.
Winter
For most of the United States, the winter season provides a quick respite from common pollen and environmental allergy triggers. However, unfortunately for Texas residents, they do not have the same privilege.
During the winter season in New Braunfels, cedar pollen becomes the dominant allergy trigger, causing intense allergy symptoms and “cedar fever,” such as fatigue, a stuffy nose, a sore throat, and coughing. Some individuals may report feeling feverish despite not having a true fever.
Spring
The spring season is tree allergy season in New Braunfels, with oak, ash, elm, cottonwood, and pecan trees being the main culprits affecting many sensitive residents across the state.
How to Manage Your Allergies in New Braunfels
Limit and minimize your exposure to common allergy triggers
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to manage your allergies is by limiting and minimizing your exposure to common allergens and triggers:
✔️ Monitor and track daily pollen and allergen forecasts and plan your day around them.
✔️ Limit the time you spend outdoors. If pollen levels are high, it’s better to stay home. If you have to go out, check pollen forecasts to help plan the best time to schedule an outdoor activity.
✔️ Keep your home clean and take steps to reduce indoor allergen exposure. If you’re planning to mow the lawn, trim trees, and remove weeds around your property, do so with proper protective gear.
✔️ Keep doors and windows closed during high-pollen and windy days.
✔️ If you’re heading out, make sure to use a protective mask to keep pollen, allergens, and irritants out of your airways.
✔️ Once you get home from spending time outdoors, immediately get out of your outdoor clothes and get in the shower to wash away allergens, irritants, and particles you might have picked up from your time outside. This prevents the spread of allergens in your home.
✔️ Use high-quality HEPA filters in your home’s HVAC system and vacuum cleaner to filter pollen, allergens, and irritants.
Over-the-counter medications for allergy symptom management
Some patients may find that over-the-counter medications can help offer additional support in managing allergy symptoms. These medications include:
✔️ Decongestants
✔️ Antihistamines
✔️ Nasal sprays
✔️ Eye drops
✔️ Pain relievers
Ask your allergist about allergy drops
If your allergy condition doesn’t seem to be getting better despite some conservative medical intervention and self-care strategies at home, your healthcare provider in New Braunfels, TX, may start discussing sublingual immunotherapy or allergy drops.
Depending on your medical history, symptom severity, treatment goals, and other individual health factors, your physician may discuss custom-compounded allergy drops for off-label use.
Allergy drops are administered and placed under the tongue and, under physician guidance, are designed to build tolerance to these allergens over time. However, custom-compounded allergy drops are not FDA-approved. Individual responses vary, and your care provider can help determine if this is the appropriate treatment for you.
Because allergy drops are administered under the tongue rather than by injection, some patients may prefer this method of administration
A note on FDA approval:
In the United States, FDA-approved sublingual immunotherapy is available as tablets for specific allergens only. Custom-compounded allergy drops are not FDA-approved but may be prescribed for off-label use under physician guidance.
Conclusion: Learn More About Your Allergy Triggers in the New Braunfels Area
New Braunfels Breathe Free provides ENT care services, including allergy testing, sinus evaluations, and treatment guidance for patients in New Braunfels and the nearby Texas communities.
If you are experiencing persistent allergy symptoms, get in touch with our team to learn more about common environmental triggers and discuss potential treatments and management strategies for your condition.
