Info on fall and winter allergens (Tampa: inspector, allergies, living in)

[movingsoon81]

Hi there,

I moved here about 5 months ago from Pittsburgh. I have been having problems with post nasal drip, sinus headaches, and various other symptoms since about mid November or so. I did not have any problems with allergies in Pittsburgh. I have lived in 10 different states and never had this big a problem with allergies. The only time I had a problem was in Northern Nevada. I never got tested for allergies there but had major problems with sinus congestion, dizziness, and post nasal drip. These problems all subsided when I moved. Looking back, it looks like ragweed/sagebrush was probably my trigger.

I cannot afford an allergist at the moment. My husband recently had a huge hospital stay and along with recent dental costs, it is not possible now. I have been taking Claritin or Allegra daily and they have helped a lot especially with post nasal drip and a bit with sinus pressure.

Does anyone have any info on possible fall/winter allergies? Sources online all say different things as to when certain allergens begin and end. Some sources say ragweed goes from August-December and some say only September and October for instance. I have never had allergies in the fall/winter before and it has really ruined a lot of holidays and events this time of year for my family. Basically which allergens are predominate from October/November through January?

Here are some symptoms.


Post Nasal Drip - Extremely bad until starting Claritin.

Stuffy Nose

Sinus pressure - Lessened with Claritin. Worst on humid/overcast days/low barometric pressure

Headache behind eyes - mostly in morning until I drink coffee

Fatigue

Anxiety - Mostly gone with Claritin

Stiff joints - morning only

Wheezing

Mucus in throat/ Constantly needing to clear throat

Irritated eyes - occasional

Stuffy ears - occasional

Note I was fine here from May-September with very little in the way of congestion or any allergy symptoms. I did get some sinus headaches from the air conditioning but nothing major.

Thanks for any input. I would like to pinpoint the allergy until I can get in for allergy testing.

[Lillie767]

Sorry to tell you that many, many people who move to Florida "suddenly" develop allergies here.

I never had allergies or sinus problems when I lived in the northeast.

However, since I moved to Florida, I keep bottles of antihistamines and packages of Mucinex DM in readiness for daily use - all year- even in winter. The overall heat and high humidity contribute to the allergy/mold problem.


"The sun is shining. It’s not too hot outside. The trees and flowers are in full bloom. It’s spring in Florida. Unfortunately, everyone can’t enjoy this weather, especially those with allergies.

“This year, it's been crazy,” Patti Helson said.

Helton said she didn’t have allergies until she moved to Florida a few years ago. She said they get worse every year.

“I get a tickle in the throat, cough, and difficulty breathing,” she said.


According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA), Tampa ranked 18th out of the 100 most populated U.S. cities looked at in its 2023 Allergy Capitals report."

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/r...ew-report-says


"In Florida, though, allergy season lasts approximately ten months of out of the entire year. Since the weather is warm year round, flowers and plants bloom and produce allergens prolonged periods of time.

Apart from allergies to plants, mold is the second largest cause of seasonal allergies in Florida during the fall season. Mold allergies are unlike pollen allergies because when the temperature drops, mold simply becomes benign (instead of dying). Where there are humid and moist conditions, you can count on mold thriving as it is the perfect environment for it to grow. "

https://floridaentandallergy.com/sur...on-in-florida/

[movingsoon81]

Originally Posted by Lillie767

Sorry to tell you that many, many people who move to Florida "suddenly" develop allergies here.

I never had allergies or sinus problems when I lived in the northeast.

However, since I moved to Florida, I keep bottles of antihistamines and packages of Mucinex DM in readiness for daily use - all year- even in winter. The overall heat and high humidity contribute to the allergy/mold problem.


"The sun is shining. It’s not too hot outside. The trees and flowers are in full bloom. It’s spring in Florida. Unfortunately, everyone can’t enjoy this weather, especially those with allergies.

“This year, it's been crazy,” Patti Helson said.

Helton said she didn’t have allergies until she moved to Florida a few years ago. She said they get worse every year.

“I get a tickle in the throat, cough, and difficulty breathing,” she said.


According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA), Tampa ranked 18th out of the 100 most populated U.S. cities looked at in its 2023 Allergy Capitals report."

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/r...ew-report-says


"In Florida, though, allergy season lasts approximately ten months of out of the entire year. Since the weather is warm year round, flowers and plants bloom and produce allergens prolonged periods of time.

Apart from allergies to plants, mold is the second largest cause of seasonal allergies in Florida during the fall season. Mold allergies are unlike pollen allergies because when the temperature drops, mold simply becomes benign (instead of dying). Where there are humid and moist conditions, you can count on mold thriving as it is the perfect environment for it to grow. "

https://floridaentandallergy.com/sur...on-in-florida/

Yeah it sucks. I was a 5k and half marathon runner - fitness addict. I had no problems in the Northeast even though most people act like their allergies are better down here.

Now I have to take Claritin by day and Benadryl at night. Steaming my face and doing breathing exercises and yoga instead of running.

I do have a confirmed mold and dust mite allergy (tested when younger), however, they have never really bothered me until moving here. Perhaps it has to do with the year-round mold problems.

[kab0906]

Don't rule out mold.

It's wet here. Between the rain and the humidity, mold is a huge issue.

[movingsoon81]

Originally Posted by kab0906

Don't rule out mold.

It's wet here. Between the rain and the humidity, mold is a huge issue.

I have a mold and dustmite allergy for sure according to my parents. Have not been tested for anything in recent years.

I noticed my symptoms started getting bad when the rainy season started around October. The summer months were insanely dry and we ran the air conditioner 24/7. Probably had no problems during the summer as it was one of the driest on record. The damp cloudy weather has not stopped since October.

Also beginning in October we started opening the windows which probably did not help. Soon afterwards our cat had an asthma attack and needed steroids. The dr said probably environmental.

My symptoms are 100 times worse on rainy days so mold might be the culprit. We did have the apt tested in October and they did not find anything unusual although this was at the beginning of the rainy season. A month later one of our plants was growing fungus. Since then, we removed all plants. Maybe the mold increased from opening the windows after the inspector checked it out. Not sure. Also people with allergies react higher at lower levels I'm told.

[Mike0766]

Hello, I live in the area and use this web site for local allergy levels and allergens.
Search on: Pollen.com, in the box near the top enter your zip code. The site will give you the present pollen levels and what the allergens are.
Example: I used the zip code for St. Pete, Fl. Levels are now 8-10 ( high) Allergens are Juniper, Elm and Maple. Check over time to watch for changes in allergens and levels.
Hope this helps.

[MortonR]

It's just the start of the oak pollen season, I believe. Doesn't do a thing to me, luckily, but I don't care for the yellow "dust" (pollen) on everything outside.

RM

[engineman]

You didn't tell us where in Florida you are. I have seen pine tree pollen in north Florida and other things down along the Gold Coast.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by movingsoon81

Hi there,

I moved here about 5 months ago from Pittsburgh. I have been having problems with post nasal drip, sinus headaches, and various other symptoms since about mid November or so. I did not have any problems with allergies in Pittsburgh. I have lived in 10 different states and never had this big a problem with allergies. The only time I had a problem was in Northern Nevada. I never got tested for allergies there but had major problems with sinus congestion, dizziness, and post nasal drip. These problems all subsided when I moved. Looking back, it looks like ragweed/sagebrush was probably my trigger.

I cannot afford an allergist at the moment. My husband recently had a huge hospital stay and along with recent dental costs, it is not possible now. I have been taking Claritin or Allegra daily and they have helped a lot especially with post nasal drip and a bit with sinus pressure.

Does anyone have any info on possible fall/winter allergies? Sources online all say different things as to when certain allergens begin and end. Some sources say ragweed goes from August-December and some say only September and October for instance. I have never had allergies in the fall/winter before and it has really ruined a lot of holidays and events this time of year for my family. Basically which allergens are predominate from October/November through January?

Here are some symptoms.


Post Nasal Drip - Extremely bad until starting Claritin.

Stuffy Nose

Sinus pressure - Lessened with Claritin. Worst on humid/overcast days/low barometric pressure

Headache behind eyes - mostly in morning until I drink coffee

Fatigue

Anxiety - Mostly gone with Claritin

Stiff joints - morning only

Wheezing

Mucus in throat/ Constantly needing to clear throat

Irritated eyes - occasional

Stuffy ears - occasional

Note I was fine here from May-September with very little in the way of congestion or any allergy symptoms. I did get some sinus headaches from the air conditioning but nothing major.

Thanks for any input. I would like to pinpoint the allergy until I can get in for allergy testing.

This is called living in Florida. Not everyone gets this, but I do. And it sucks. You notice that it's a Florida allergy issue when you leave Florida and don't have it in other states. The post nasal drip and sinus pressure are my top symptoms. Also get clogged ears. It goes away a bit with prescription allergy meds.

[movingsoon81]

Originally Posted by engineman

You didn't tell us where in Florida you are. I have seen pine tree pollen in north Florida and other things down along the Gold Coast.

suburban Tampa area - about 40 min from the coast