Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Connecticut Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyConnecticut is a state in New England known for its charming small towns, coastal cities, and the prestigious Yale University. Unfortunately for residents, Connecticut is also infamous for its allergies. While the trees and plant life in Connecticut are certainly beautiful, they can make allergy season a brutal affair.
Connecticut’s biggest cities frequently rank among the worst places to live for people with allergies. So what can residents do to find relief from their seasonal allergies? Wyndly is here to help.
Wyndly provides personal physician care for allergies, and our doctors can create an allergy plan to help you find lifelong relief from Connecticut allergies. Get your allergy consultation today, or read on to learn more about Connecticut allergy season.
When Is Connecticut Allergy Season?
Though allergies in Connecticut can be miserable, the season is a fairly normal length. Spring allergies will typically start in late February or early March, and allergy season will end after the first winter freeze, usually in late October. Other than indoor allergies, Connecticut residents can enjoy a winter respite from seasonal symptoms.
Allergens by Season
Different plants produce pollen at different times of year in Connecticut. Here are some of the allergies to watch out for based on the season.
Summer
Summer is grass allergy season in Connecticut. The worst grass allergies are usually from orchard, timothy, sweet vernal, fescue, and bent grasses. This season typically starts around May and will taper off near the end of July.
Fall
Fall is weed allergy season for Connecticut. Ragweed is the worst offender, with wormwood, amaranth, and sagebrush also causing issues. This season will start around August and last until the first hard freeze of winter.
Winter
Connecticut residents can breathe easy in winter, providing they don’t have indoor allergies. Common indoor allergies include dust mites, mold, and pet dander.
Spring
Spring is one of the worst allergy seasons in Connecticut, thanks to the multitudes of trees producing pollen. Common tree allergies in Connecticut include oak, elder, mulberry, willow, hickory, maple, cedar, and ash. This season will usually start in late February or March and last until May.
Common Allergens
Connecticut residents will contend with tree, grass, and weed pollen as their primary seasonal allergens.
Common Symptoms
Connecticut 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 the State
The different regions of Connecticut will have different types of pollen allergies. Let’s take a look at some of these regions and the allergies they have.
Manchester/Hartford
Spring allergies in the Manchester and Hartford areas are often from oak, hickory, maple, cedar, ash, willow, and mulberry trees. Grass allergy triggers are typically orchard, fescue, bent, and timothy grasses. Fall allergies include ragweed, wormwood, and sagebrush.
New Haven/Bridgeport/Stamford
In the New Haven, Bridgeport, and Stamford areas, tree allergies include oak, hickory, willow, mulberry, walnut, maple, and ash pollen. Grass allergies usually come from ryegrass and Bermuda, sweet vernal, fescue, and timothy grasses. Weed allergies include ragweed, amaranth, Russian thistle, orache, wormwood, and sagebrush.
Danbury/Waterbury/Middletown
The Danbury, Waterbury, and Middletown areas begin spring with tree allergies from oak, willow, maple, hickory, walnut, and ash pollen. Summer grass allergies include ryegrass and Bermuda, bent, orchard, and fescue grasses. Fall weed allergies include ragweed, wormwood, Russian thistle, and sagebrush.
New London/Norwich/Windham
The New London, Norwich, and Windham areas have spring tree allergies from oak, hickory, maple, ash, willow, cedar, and walnut pollen. Summer grass allergies are from ryegrass and Bermuda, bent, sweet vernal, brome, and orchard grasses. Fall weed allergies are triggered by ragweed, wormwood, Russian thistle, and amaranth.
Testing and Diagnosis
It can be difficult to determine which allergens are causing your symptoms. Since pollen is present throughout most of the year, it could technically be any of the pollen-producing plants, or it could be indoor allergens. With an allergy test, you can find out for sure. Wyndly makes it easy to take an allergy test with our at-home testing kits. Purchase your at-home allergy test from Wyndly today.
Let’s look at 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 your personalized treatment plan.
Treatment and Remedies
If you’re dealing with Connecticut allergies, you don’t have to just suffer through them until allergy season is over. There are several options for managing and treating your allergy symptoms.
Limiting Exposure
It is best to try to avoid your allergy triggers. We have some tips for limiting your allergen exposure.
- Look at the pollen count: During allergy season, you can check the pollen count to see if the tree, grass, or weed pollen is high for the day. If the pollen count is high, try to stay indoors.
- Keep your home clean: You can vacuum your home with a HEPA filter vacuum and dust hard surfaces with a wet rag to get rid of pollen in your home. It can also be helpful to use a dehumidifier or HEPA filter on your A/C system to limit the pollen that gets in.
- Cut grass, pull weeds, and trim trees: Keeping grass short, trimming tree branches, and removing weeds from your yard can all help to reduce pollen production in your immediate area.
- Keep your windows closed: Keeping your windows closed can help prevent pollen from getting in.
- Take off your shoes when you get home: Be sure to remove your shoes when you get home for the day to avoid tracking in excess pollen.
- Rinse off and wash your clothes: Pollen is very sticky and can get on your clothes, skin, and hair. Taking a shower when you get home and throwing your clothes in the laundry can help get the pollen off you after you’ve been outside.
Medications
While limiting exposure can help with mild symptoms or when the pollen count isn’t too high, it often isn’t enough to provide complete relief. Many people rely on allergy medications to help them get through Connecticut’s allergy season. Over-the-counter options are usually effective for temporary symptom management. The most common options include antihistamines, eye drops, nasal sprays, and decongestants.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
Managing your symptoms can work in the short term, but it doesn’t treat your allergy causes at their source. With sublingual immunotherapy, you can teach your immune system to tolerate or ignore harmless allergen substances. Sublingual immunotherapy introduces small, gradually increasing doses of your primary allergen through liquid drops or tablets that are administered under the tongue. Unlike allergy shots, sublingual immunotherapy can be taken at home and doesn’t require painful needles.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
When you’re ready to get long-term relief from your Connecticut allergy symptoms, Wyndly can help. Our doctors will create a personalized treatment plan for your allergies and allergy history. Wyndly can also deliver doses of sublingual immunotherapy to your door if you’re a candidate for treatment.
Take our easy 2-minute online assessment to see if Wyndly is right for you!
Connecticut Allergy FAQs
Still have questions about Connecticut allergies? Here are some common questions and answers to help you out.
How long is Connecticut’s allergy season?
Connecticut has a typical allergy season that starts in early spring and ends in winter.
Is allergy season bad in Connecticut?
Connecticut has a particularly bad allergy season.
Is Connecticut a good state if you have allergies?
Connecticut is frequently ranked as one of the worst states for allergies.
When is the Connecticut allergy season?
The Connecticut allergy season starts around late February and will usually end by late October or whenever the first hard frost happens.
What are the worst months?
The worst months are March, April, May, June, and September.
