Another Allergy Season That’s Longer and More Intense

Nearly 50 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, which cause uncomfortable symptoms such as a stuffy or runny nose, itchy or swollen eyes, sneezing, coughing, post-nasal drip and fatigue. 

Seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever, are triggered when trees, grasses and weeds release pollen into the air to fertilize other plants. While some areas, such as Florida, have high pollen levels all year due to constant plant pollination, most regions have allergy seasons that span late winter through spring and late summer through fall. However, the 2025 allergy season was longer and more intense than usual, and the 2026 season is expected to last an additional three weeks longer in most states, according to The Weather Channel. 

Why is the annual allergy season worsening? Scientists believe warmer weather associated with climate change, increased temperatures, which raise carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, according to Michigan Medicine/University of Michigan. This will cause a longer fungal allergy season, earlier pollen seasons, and a northward shift where allergens are found, according to the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.  

Fortunately, you can ease allergies, possibly even control them, by understanding how allergic responses are caused and taking precautions to minimize reactions.

Understanding Allergic Responses  

Your immune system plays a major role in allergic responses. Allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a harmless substance as it would to a harmful germ. To protect your body from the irritant or allergen, your immune system produces IgE antibodies — chemicals designed to react to allergens — and triggers histamine release. Histamine is the same chemical released when you have a cold, which is why allergy symptoms often mimic cold symptoms.  

The key difference? The longer you're exposed to an allergen, the longer your symptoms last. Common allergens that produce cold-like symptoms include dust mites, pollen and mold spores. While allergies aren't contagious, they can range from minor annoyances to serious complications, including upper-airway breathing obstructions.  

Your gut health affects the immune system, ultimately influencing allergic reactions. Research from the Institut Pasteur found that microbiota — the microbes living in our intestines that are involved with various functions, including immune defense — may play a role in preventing allergies. This is because our gut microbiome controls our inflammation level. Our gut houses most of our immune cells; in fact, between 70 and 80 percent of our immune cells reside in the gut, according to the journal Nutrients. This means if your gut is unhealthy, you have a higher risk for developing conditions where the gut microbiome and immune system intersect, such as allergies. But poor gut health also raises the risk of obesity, chronic fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  

Some experts also believe that the use of insecticides, germicides and antibacterial substances has sanitized our environment and lowered the numbers of beneficial microbiota in our intestines, contributing to the rise in allergies. This concept, known as the hygiene hypothesis, suggests that lack of exposure to parasites and infectious agents during childhood can interfere with immune system development, leading to allergies, particularly when combined with antibiotic overuse.

Practical Tips for Managing Allergies  

Here are some tips to help you strengthen your immune system, control your exposure to allergens and ease symptoms.  

Strengthening Your Immune System  

Try these tactics to help you strengthen your immune system.

• Add these foods to your diet. A healthy diet that includes plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats can help maintain a strong immune system. To control allergies, add kale, beans, spinach and broccoli because they’re good sources of kaempferol, a plant pigment that promotes the development of regulatory T-cells — white blood cells that help control immune responses and ease allergy symptoms. Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and trout), fish oil, green leafy vegetables, walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseed oil, because they’re good sources of omega-3s, which may help improve gut health and alleviate bronchial inflammation and allergic disease. Lastly, yogurt and sourdough are good sources of Lactobacillus acidophilus, which might help control pollen allergies.  
• Exercise regularly per your doctor's advice  
• Avoid tobacco  
• Control blood pressure  
• Limit alcohol consumption  
• Get seven to eight hours of sleep every night  
• Wash your hands throughout the day 

Controlling Exposure in Your Home Environment  

Help minimize allergic responses by following these recommendations from the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America.  

• Skip carpeting; use area rugs.  
• Minimize clutter, dust and vacuum at least once a week.  
• Close windows during warm weather, especially on high pollen count days; use an air conditioner instead.
• Change air conditioning filters regularly. HEPA filters are recommended.  
• Keep bedroom doors closed if you have a pet.
• Use allergen-proof covers on pillows and mattresses and wash linens weekly.
• Use a dehumidifier.
• Limit the number of house plants. Remove mold from surfaces.
• Leave your shoes at the door when you return home.
• Take steps to control allergies if you garden or do yard work.

Easing Symptoms  

Try hydrating and some natural remedies to ease allergic symptoms, such as:  

Drink plenty of water and other liquids. Staying hydrated helps ease allergy symptoms by preventing nasal passages from drying out and thinning mucus, making it easier to breathe. Water works best, but herbal teas and warm soups can also help. Avoid caffeinated fluids and alcohol, as they can dry your nasal passages and exacerbate symptoms.  

Breathe humidified air infused with ginger. Humidified air can ease allergy symptoms like nasal congestion, irritation, and inflammation, while ginger can alleviate inflammation in the nasal passages, sinuses and lungs. You can do this by adding fresh ginger to a pot of water and boiling it.

Most of all, you should work with your MDVIP-affiliated physician. They can develop a comprehensive allergy management plan for you that includes allergy tests (or referral to a specialist for testing) to identify your specific triggers. They can provide suggestions for your lifestyle, recommendations for over-the-counter nasal sprays, decongestants and antihistamines and/or prescriptions. Once you know your triggers and have a plan in place, pay attention to weather and pollen counts and reach out to your physician two weeks before you expect the onset of symptoms. Getting ahead of the problem gives you some time to strengthen your immune system, reduce your exposure and begin taking medications.  

If you don’t have a primary care physician, consider working with MDVIP. MDVIP-affiliated physicians have the time and resources to help you focus on strengthening your immune system, helping you live a healthy lifestyle and easing allergic symptoms. Find a physician near you and begin your partnership in health»