Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Iowa Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyIowa is a Midwestern state known for its cornfields, hilly landscapes, and the city of Des Moines. While it may not hold true for the entire state, Des Moines frequently ranks in the top 20 worst cities for allergy sufferers.
While Iowa might not be the worst state for allergies, it’s pretty far from being the best. But if you have seasonal Iowa allergies, there are ways to manage and even treat your symptoms. Wyndly can help.
When you choose Wyndly, you get a personalized allergy treatment plan for your seasonal allergies in Iowa. Schedule your allergy consultation today, or read on to learn more about Iowa’s allergy season.
When Is Iowa Allergy Season?
Iowa’s allergy season follows the typical pattern. Allergies will start in early spring when trees start producing pollen, and fall allergies will end after winter’s first hard freeze. Once winter comes, outdoor allergy season takes a hiatus.
Allergens by Season
Depending on the season, there will be different types of pollen in the air. There are several allergens to watch out for.
Summer
Summer is Iowa’s grass allergy season. Grass allergies in Iowa are typically from ryegrass and bent, fescue, timothy, orchard, and brome grasses. Grass allergy season usually starts in May and ends in July.
Fall
Fall is weed allergy season in Iowa. Weed allergens to watch out for include lamb’s quarters, ragweed, wormwood, and sagebrush. Weed allergies start at the end of summer and end after the first hard frost.
Winter
Seasonal allergy sufferers can breathe easy during the Iowa winter. Indoor allergies can pose a problem, though, so keep this in mind if you’re still having allergy symptoms.
Spring
In spring, it’s tree allergy season for Iowa residents. Tree allergies in Iowa usually are a response to maple, hickory, ash, oak, willow, mulberry, and walnut trees. Tree allergy season starts around late February or early March and ends in May or June.
Common Allergens
Iowa residents have tree, grass, and weed pollen as their main seasonal allergens.
Common Symptoms
Iowa 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
Depending on where you live in Iowa, you may have different pollen allergies than in other areas of the state. Let’s look at some of the regions of Iowa and their primary pollen allergies.
Des Moines/Fort Dodge/Ames
Allergies in the Des Moines, Fort Dodge, and Ames areas start in spring with hickory, ash, maple, willow, walnut, oak, and mulberry trees. Summer grass allergies are often from ryegrass and bent, fescue, timothy, and orchard grasses. Fall weed allergy triggers include ragweed, lamb’s quarters, and sagebrush.
Cedar Rapids/Waterloo/Dubuque/Iowa City/Davenport
Spring tree allergies in the Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque, Iowa City, and Davenport areas are often from hickory, oak, walnut, willow, and ash trees. Summer grass allergy triggers include bent, brome, orchard, and prairie grasses. Fall weed allergy culprits include ragweed, wormwood, amaranth, and sagebrush.
Sioux City/Council Bluffs
The Sioux City and Council Bluffs areas have spring tree allergies from cedar, hickory, maple, mulberry, and ash pollen. Summer grass allergens include Bermuda, timothy, and orchard grasses. Fall weed allergies are often triggered by ragweed and wormwood.
Testing and Diagnosis
It can be incredibly difficult to self-diagnose airborne seasonal allergies. There is so much pollen in the air, that it’s almost impossible to pinpoint the specific culprit — and that’s without considering indoor allergies. With an allergy test, you can find out your exact allergens so you can avoid them and treat them properly. Wyndly’s at-home test takes the inconvenience out of allergy testing by sending the test right to your door. Buy your at-home 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
Instead of putting up with your allergies throughout allergy season, you can use remedies and treatments to reduce symptoms. There are several you may want to try.
Limiting Exposure
Limiting your exposure to allergens is a good first step. Here are some ways you can keep exposure to a minimum.
- Remember to check the pollen count: Find a website or app that can reliably tell you the pollen count for your area. If the pollen count is high for your allergen, you should try to stay indoors. If you can’t, be sure to wear a mask, sunglasses, and hat when you go outside.
- Clean your home: You’ll want to make sure to clean your home more frequently during allergy season. Using a vacuum with a HEPA filter and dusting with a wet rag will be your best tools for reducing pollen levels.
- Do your laundry: Remember to do laundry often during allergy season, since pollen can easily stick to your clothes and bedding.
- Cut grass, trim trees, and remove weeds: Reduce pollen levels in your yard by cutting grass short, trimming tree branches, and removing weeds.
- Shower after being outside: If you’ve been outside, it’s a good idea to shower and get pollen off. Washing your hands and face well can be a quick substitute.
- Keep windows shut: Don’t open your windows during allergy season, as that can let pollen in. Use your A/C instead, and install a HEPA filter if possible.
- Take off your shoes: When you get home, take off your shoes to avoid tracking pollen in.
Medications
While limiting exposure can be helpful, it might not be enough to provide complete relief. Over-the-counter allergy medications can be useful for providing temporary relief from several common symptoms. The most common options include antihistamines, eye drops, nasal sprays, and decongestants.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
Instead of just managing allergy symptoms, there are ways to treat your allergies at the source. The safest and most effective way to treat allergy symptoms is with sublingual immunotherapy. Sublingual immunotherapy introduces small, gradually increasing doses of your allergen to your immune system with liquid drops or tablets. This retrains your immune system over time to ignore these allergy triggers instead of responding with an allergic reaction. Unlike allergy shots, sublingual immunotherapy can be taken in the comfort of your home, and it doesn’t require painful needles.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
If you want to find lifelong relief from your seasonal Iowa allergies, Wyndly can help. Our doctors can create a personalized treatment plan that will help you find long-term relief from allergy symptoms.
Take our easy 2-minute online assessment to get started today!
Iowa Allergy FAQs
Still have questions about Iowa allergies? Here are some common questions and answers to help you out.
How long is Iowa’s allergy season?
Iowa’s allergy season is a typical length, starting in spring and ending after the first hard frost of fall.
Is allergy season bad in Iowa?
Allergy season can be bad in certain areas of the state.
Is Iowa a good state if you have allergies?
Des Moines frequently ranks as one of the worst cities for allergies, and the rest of the state can be fairly bad for allergies.
When is Iowa allergy season?
Iowa allergy season usually starts in late February and ends after the first hard freeze of fall.
What are the worst months?
The worst months are April, May, June, and September.
