What Is Pollen - Allergy Symptoms and Indoor Air Quality
Pollen can be quite a problem when you are allergic to it since it originates from different places and at different times. For these reasons, figuring out which type of pollen is giving you allergic symptoms can be troublesome. Before we begin looking at the different types that exist though, we first need to have an idea of what this yellow powder is so that we can better understand its impact on indoor air quality. Let us first look at what is pollen, what is it made of and how it travels.
What is pollen?
Pollen is a powder made of grains that come from seed plants. This powdery substance makes its way across long distances by travelling along with wind or water. There are different types of it, and they emerge from different plants at different intervals throughout the year. Here are some of the most common types of that you will find during pollen season.
Tree pollen
This one comes from all kinds of trees and not all of them will necessarily give you allergy symptoms. Whether or not you get allergic reactions from trees depends on the type of tree and your sensitivity to them - this also goes for the other types described below. So, here is a list of the trees that are bound to give you the most trouble:
Alder
Ash
Aspen
Beech
Birch
Box elder
Cedar
Cottonwood
Elm
Hickory
Mountain elder
Mulberry
Oak
Olive
Pecan
Phoenix palm
Poplar
Red maple
Silver maple
Sycamore
Willow
As you can see, there are a lot of them. So, if you have tree allergies, you are better off staying away from areas filled with the type of tree that you are allergic to. Now that we have taken a look at trees, let us move on to the good ol' weed.
Weed pollen
The worst weed for allergy is by far ragweed. Ragweed plants are responsible for most of the hay fever outbreaks in the U.S. as their light powder is easily carried by wind for up to 400 miles away from the coast. There are, of course, other weeds to look out for, such as these:
Common pigweed
English plantain
Goosefoot
Mugwort
Saltwort
Wall pellitory
These weeds will not give you a good time, so try to stay away from them. Last but not least, grass!
Grass pollen
There are many kinds of grasses around the world; although we do not recommend playing in them if you suffer from grass allergies. Here is a short list of the type of grass that you might be sensitive to:
Bermuda
Johnson
Kentucky
Orchard
Redtop
Rye
Sweet vernal
Timothy
These grasses are bound to give you more allergic reactions than others as it is the case with the tree and weed lists that we have provided for you. Now that we have seen what is pollen and where it comes from, it is time to look at when it appears.
When does pollen season start and end?
Well, that depends on which one we are talking about, but the seasons in general will appear in spring and end in autumn. Tree season comes first in spring and is at its peak from March to May, then comes grass season from May to July, and finally, weed appears from July to October.
Note that depending on where you are located, you might experience seasonal allergies at different times throughout the year.
Even though seasonal allergies comes from different sources and at different times, they can still affect you all the same as we will see in the next section.
Tree, weed and grass allergy symptoms
Seasonal allergies all have one thing in common: they all disturb your immune system. If you do experience allergies or asthma symptoms because of them, you might suffer from the following:
Nasal congestion
Sinus pressure
Runny nose
Itchy, watery eyes
Sore throat
Cough
Swollen skin beneath the eyes
Decreased sense of taste or smell
Increased asthmatic reactions
Now that you know what is pollen, where it comes from, when it appears and what allergy symptoms come with it, it is time to learn how to deal with it. Obviously, you cannot stop this powder from spreading outside since there is too much of it. However, you can mitigate the symptoms of hay fever when you are indoors. There are many ways that you can go on about this, but there is one particular process that has been proven quite effective when it comes to having high quality indoor air. It is called photocatalysis.
How photocatalysis improves indoor air quality
Photocatalysis is a process that can be used for indoor surface cleaning in order to destroy many forms of pollutants such as pathogens, bacteria, viruses and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds also known as airborne chemicals.) Not only does it destroy them, it also purifies the air we breathe over long periods of time.
Photocatalysis can last for up to 12 months!
So, how does indoor surface cleaning help with asthma and allergy symptoms?
Better indoor air quality means less allergy and asthma symptoms
If you have clean indoor air, that means you will have less powdery dust coming into your home or your office which will make it easier for you to work during the day and to sleep peacefully at night. There are, of course, other ways that you can manage your allergies, but a photocatalysis solution provides long-term protection which means that you only need to have it done once during pollen season.
In other words, photocatalysis is a short-term investment for a long-term protection.
Photocatalysis is quite affordable too even though the name itself might sound expensive. If you want to get a quote, feel free to contact us and ask us about our surface cleaning solution! (Limited to certain areas)
References
1. https://www.britannica.com/science/pollen
2. https://community.aafa.org/blog/tree-pollen-spring-s-first-allergy-offender
3. https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/pollen-library#Spring-Pollen-Allergies
4. https://community.aafa.org/blog/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-ragweed-pollen-allergy
5. https://www.thermofisher.com/allergy/wo/en/allergen-fact-sheets.html?category=Weed+Pollen
6. https://www.webmd.com/allergies/grass-pollen-allergy
7. https://www.zyrtec.com/allergy-guide/understanding-allergies/types/pollen-by-season
8. https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/pollen#symptoms
