Facts, Prevention, and Relief for California Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyCalifornia generally has a relatively warm climate year-round, which might lead people to believe that it’s a horrible state for allergy sufferers. However, the coastal climates in most of the state help to keep pollen counts on the lower end of the spectrum. Of course, that doesn’t mean California is devoid of allergies. It’s a large state, so there are bound to be some seasonal allergies no matter where you go.
Indoor allergens are also common in California, regardless of the weather. Dust, mold, pet dander, and pollution can all cause problems for allergy sufferers. But when it comes to seasonal allergies, what allergens should you be aware of? What are some ways to prevent California allergies and find relief from your symptoms?
Wyndly is a great resource for allergy sufferers. Our doctors will create a personalized allergy treatment plan to help provide you with long-term allergy relief. Get your personalized allergy consultation today, or read on to learn more about California’s allergy season.
When Is California Allergy Season?
Californians will typically find relief from outdoor allergies from November to January. Spring allergies will begin around late January, and fall allergies will often go into late October. Since California has a coastal climate, you may not experience as severe allergies there as in some other states in the country. With that being said, let’s take a look at the seasonal allergies that are common throughout the state.
Allergens by Season
California allergies commonly occur in spring, summer, and fall. Because California is such a large state, we’ll divide the common allergens by Northern and Southern California. Here are the allergens that are most prominent for each season:
Summer
Summer is grass allergy season for both Northern and Southern California. Northern Californians with grass allergies can likely attribute their symptoms to bluegrass and ryegrass. Southern Californians will contend with oat and Bermuda grasses, ryegrass, and bluegrass.
Fall
Fall allergies are where weeds dominate. Sagebrush, Russian thistle, and pigweed are the biggest offenders for Southern California, while ragweed and sagebrush cause the biggest issues in Northern California.
Winter
Winter should provide Californians everywhere with some relief from seasonal allergies. Don’t forget about indoor allergens like dust, pet dander, mold, and cockroaches in the cooler months.
Spring
Spring allergies mark the beginning of tree allergy season. Northern Californians should watch out for juniper, cedar, cypress, birch, mulberry, oak, olive, privet, elm, and pine trees. Southern California tree allergies include ash, olive, oak, sycamore, walnut, eucalyptus, and mulberry.
Common Allergens
California may have lower pollen counts than many states, but trees, weeds, and grass are still the common allergens.
Common Symptoms
California residents can expect the following allergy symptoms:
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Headaches
- Scratchy throat
- Itchy eyes
- Watery eyes
- Hives
- Aggravated asthma symptoms
As always, reactions will vary from person to person, but in general, allergies will cause one or more of these symptoms to occur.
Allergens Around Northern California
Northern California has different allergens from those found in Southern California. Let’s take a look at some areas of Northern California and their allergies.
Eureka/San Francisco/Redwood National and State Parks
The Eureka/San Francisco/Redwood National and State Parks areas will have willow, oak, and maple allergies in spring; Bermuda, bent, and timothy grass allergies in summer; and ragweed, saltbush, sagebrush, amaranth, silverscale, coyote brush, and smotherweed in the fall.
Yreka/Clearlake/Ukiah
The Yreka/Clearlake/Ukiah areas will have their tree allergies in spring with willow, maple, oak, walnut, and juniper pollen. In summer they’ll have ryegrass and bent, timothy, and orchard grasses. In fall, they’ll have ragweed, sagebrush, and amaranth.
Redding/Sacramento/Modesto/Lassen Volcanic National Park
Spring tree allergens in the Redding/Sacramento/Modesto/Lassen Volcanic National Park areas include willow, maple, oak, walnut, and mulberry. Summer allergies will include bluegrass and Bermuda, bent, and timothy grasses. Fall includes wormwood, amaranth, orache, and coyote brush.
Truckee/Alturas/Bishop
The Truckee/Alturas/Bishop areas have tree allergies in spring with willow oak, ash, and juniper; grass allergies in summer with ryegrass and Bermuda, bent, timothy, blue, orchard, and grasses; and weed allergies in fall with ragweed, sagebrush, wormwood, amaranth, and orache.
Allergens Around Southern California
Next we’ll take a look at some areas of Southern California and their allergies.
San Diego/Los Angeles/Santa Barbara/Channel Islands National Park
The San Diego/Los Angeles/Santa Barbara/Channel Islands National Park areas start spring with tree allergies from cypress, willow, oak, maple, walnut, and ash pollen. Summer allergies include Bermuda, bent, timothy, and orchard grasses, along with ryegrass and bluegrass. Fall allergies consist of ragweed, saltbush, Russian thistle, amaranth, and sagebrush.
San Bernardino/Riverside
The San Bernardino/Riverside area usually has to deal with cypress, willow, oak, ash, walnut, and juniper tree allergies in spring. In summer, they’ll have ryegrass and Bermuda, bent, orchard, and fescue grass allergies. Fall brings wormwood, sagebrush, saltbush, ragweed, and amaranth allergies.
Fresno/Bakersfield/Death Valley/Kings Canyon/Sequoia/Yosemite National Park
Spring allergy season in the Fresno/Bakersfield/Death Valley National Park/Kings Canyon National Park/Sequoia National Park/Yosemite National Park areas starts with oak, maple willow, cypress, juniper, and mulberry tree pollen. Next are summer allergies, with Bermuda, timothy, rye, and fescue grass. In fall, the main allergies are saltbush, sagebrush, amaranth, and wormwood.
Barstow/Palm Springs/El Centro/Joshua Tree National Park
The areas of Barstow/Palm Springs/El Centro/Joshua Tree National Park will start allergy season in spring with willow, walnut, maple, oak, ash, and mulberry tree pollen. In summer, the allergies are usually due to Bermuda, bent, timothy, and orchard grasses. Fall allergies are usually from ragweed, wormwood, saltbush, sagebrush, amaranth, silverscale, orache, and burrobush.
Testing and Diagnosis
The multitude of pollen in the air and the various different allergy seasons can make it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of your allergies. Fortunately, an allergy test can help with this. An allergy test can detect your specific allergens, making it easier for you to avoid them and treat your symptoms. Wyndly has at-home tests that make allergy testing as simple as possible. Get your allergy test from Wyndly today.
Let’s examine how different allergy testing options work:
Old-Fashioned Method: Skin Prick Test at Your Doctor’s Office
Skin prick testing requires you to go to the doctor to find out your allergen triggers. It’s often uncomfortable, and it takes time out of your day. You’ll go to the doctor’s office, they’ll administer a test where they prick or scrape your skin with a needle tipped with different allergens, and then they’ll observe the areas they pricked for itchiness, redness, or swelling. All in all, it’s not a pleasant experience. Instead, you can save yourself time and pain by getting an at-home test.
Modern and Efficient At-Home Method
- Order Wyndly’s at-home allergy test. We ship our CLIA-certified test straight to your door.
- Take the allergy test and send it back to us. Just do a quick finger prick test to provide us with a blood sample, and mail it back when you’re done.
- Receive your personal allergy profile. Our doctor will interpret your results, create an allergy profile, and walk you through a treatment plan.
Treatment and Remedies
Allergies are difficult to deal with, but you don’t have to just learn to live with the symptoms. There are various approaches and remedies you can try to manage and even treat your symptoms.
Limiting Exposure
It never hurts to limit your exposure to your allergens. With airborne pollen, it can be difficult to avoid it completely, but there are ways you can keep your exposure to a bare minimum. One or more of these methods might work for you.
- Check pollen counts in the morning: Pollen levels can vary day-to-day, so it’s a good idea to get an idea of how high the pollen count is before your day starts. Check an app or local weather website to find the pollen count. On high-pollen days, try to stay indoors as much as possible.
- Try an N95 mask: If you have to go outdoors on high pollen days, an N95 mask, sunglasses, and hat can help keep pollen off your face and out of your airways.
- Clean your house often: During allergy season, you may want to clean your home more than you usually do. Vacuuming with a HEPA filter, dusting, and doing laundry more often are all good ways to keep pollen levels down in your home.
- Shower when you get home: Pollen is going to stick to your hair and skin, so showering when you get home can help you wash it off and make sure you’re not bringing too much pollen into your home.
- Take shoes off: When you get home, it’s a good idea to take your shoes off so you don’t track pollen in.
Medications
Limiting exposure can be helpful, but it’s usually not enough for allergy sufferers to manage their symptoms. You may want to try over-the-counter allergy meds like antihistamines, eye drops, nasal sprays, and decongestants. You can ask your doctor about prescription medications. While these may help reduce your allergy symptoms, they only provide short-term relief.
Sublingual Immunotherapy Allergy Drops
When allergy medications and limiting your exposure aren’t providing you with the relief you need, you may want to consider allergy immunotherapy. Immunotherapy introduces small amounts of your allergen to your immune system in gradually increasing doses. This teaches your immune system to ignore these triggers, bringing you long-term, often permanent relief. Sublingual immunotherapy allergy drops are an especially convenient option since they’re painless and you can get them delivered right to your door.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
When you’re ready to get long-term relief from your allergies, choose Wyndly. Our doctors will create a personalized treatment plan for your California allergy symptoms. Get your allergy consultation with Wyndly today to find complete relief from your allergies.
California Allergy FAQs
Still have questions about California allergies? Here are some common questions and answers to help you out.
How long is California’s allergy season?
California allergy season typically ends in winter, despite the mild climates.
How bad is allergy season in California?
California has one of the better allergy seasons in the country.
Is California a good state if you have allergies?
California’s coastal weather and low pollen concentration make it a top-ranked state for allergy sufferers.
When is the California allergy season?
California allergy season is typically from late January to early November.
What are the worst months?
March/April is the worst for trees, May is the worst for grass, and August/September is the worst for weeds.
