Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Kentucky Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyKentucky is known for bourbon, horse races, and bluegrass. But what about allergies? Unfortunately for Kentucky residents, allergy season can be pretty rough. Louisville, one of its most famous cities, is frequently ranked as one of the worst cities to live in for allergy sufferers.
Kentucky winters are cold, so that does provide a break, but indoor allergens like dust mites, mold, and pet dander will still be an issue. But what about seasonal allergies? What can Kentucky residents do to combat their symptoms, and what pollen allergens should they know about?
Wyndly can help. With Wyndly, you get a personalized allergy treatment plan designed to treat your Kentucky allergies and bring you lifelong relief. Get an allergy consultation today, or read on to learn more about Kentucky allergy season.
When Is Kentucky Allergy Season?
Kentucky has a typical allergy season that starts in spring and ends after the first frost. This means you can expect trees to start producing pollen around February and weed allergies to end sometime in November.
Allergens by Season
Each season in Kentucky comes with its own set of allergies. Let’s take a look at each season and its allergens.
Summer
Summer in Kentucky is when grass allergies are in full effect. The main offenders are Kentucky bluegrass, timothy, orchard, and redtop grasses. Grass pollen season will begin in May and can go until August. It usually peaks in June.
Fall
In fall, weed allergies take over in Kentucky. The main culprits are ragweed, dock, wormwood, pigweed, and sorrel. Weed allergy season usually starts in August and will go until the first frost. Weed pollen tends to peak in September.
Winter
Kentucky gets a decent break from allergies in winter, with November, December, and January being free of seasonal allergies. Just be sure to watch out for those indoor allergens like dust mites, mold, and pet dander.
Spring
Spring is tree allergy season in Kentucky. The main trees to worry about include juniper, cedar, poplar, pine, willow, elm, birch, sweetgum, olive, mulberry, and maple. Tree allergy season usually starts in February and goes until late May or early June. March and April mark the peak of tree pollen season.
Common Allergens
Kentucky residents will deal with tree, grass, and weed pollen as their primary seasonal allergens.
Common Symptoms
Kentucky 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 various regions of Kentucky will have different pollen allergies to contend with. Let’s take a look at some of these areas in Kentucky and their allergies.
Paducah/Mayfield
Spring tree allergies in the Paducah and Mayfield areas include cedar, oak, hickory, maple, and mulberry. Summer grass allergies include Bermuda, bent, timothy, and fescue. In fall, weed allergies include ragweed and wormwood.
Owensboro/Bowling Green/Elizabethtown/Mammoth Cave National Park
Spring tree allergies in the Owensboro, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, and Mommoth Cave National Park areas include hickory, oak, willow, cedar, and maple. In summer, grass allergies are due to ryegrass and Bermuda, fescue, and orchard. Fall weed allergies include marsh elder, ragweed, and amaranth.
Louisville/Lexington/Covington/Richmond/Somerset
Spring tree allergies in the Louisville, Lexington, Covington, Richmond, and Somerset areas include poplar, birch, maple, cedar, oak, hickory, mulberry, and willow. In summer, bluegrass, ryegrass, bent, timothy, fescue, and orchard grasses are the main culprits. Fall weed allergies are primarily caused by ragweed, wormwood, and sagebrush.
Ashland/Morehead/Pikeville
Spring tree allergies in the Ashland, Morehead, and Pikeville areas include oak, willow, ash, maple, hickory, and cedar. Grass allergies in summer include Bermuda and corn grass. Fall weed allergies include ragweed.
Testing and Diagnosis
Airborne season allergies are difficult to self-diagnose. There is a lot of pollen in the air, so it’s difficult to pin down which specific tree, grass, or weed species is causing your symptoms. However, an allergy test can reveal all of your seasonal allergens. With Wyndly’s at-home test, allergy testing is easy and convenient. You just do a quick finger prick test, send it back, and get your results. Get your Wyndly at-home test 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
- Get 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 allergy profile. Our doctor will interpret your results, create an allergy profile, and walk you through a treatment plan.
Treatment and Remedies
You don’t have to put up with your allergy symptoms until the season passes. There are various options for managing and treating your symptoms.
Limiting Exposure
It’s best to limit your exposure to your allergens. Here are some methods that may work for you.
- Clean your home frequently: Vacuuming your home with a HEPA filter vacuum, dusting hard surfaces with a wet rag, and installing a HEPA filter on your A/C system can help keep your home as free from pollen as possible.
- Do laundry often: Pollen can easily stick to your clothes, so try to do laundry at least once a week. Also, don’t dry your clothes outside on a line.
- Cut grass and trim trees: Keeping your grass short and trimming tree branches can reduce the amount of pollen they produce.
- Keep windows closed: Make sure to keep your windows closed and run your A/C during allergy season.
- Take shoes off: Take your shoes off when you come home, so you don’t track pollen in.
- Wear an N95 Mask: On days with a high pollen count, wearing an N95 mask, sunglasses, and a hat can help keep pollen out of your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Medications
Limiting exposure doesn’t provide complete relief for most people. Medications can also help you manage your symptoms for short-term relief. The most common options are over-the-counter allergy meds like antihistamines, eye drops, nasal sprays, and decongestants.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
If you’re looking for a way to treat your allergy causes instead of just managing your symptoms, sublingual immunotherapy is a great solution. Sublingual immunotherapy teaches your immune system to tolerate or ignore harmless substances that cause your allergies. This works by introducing small, gradually increasing doses of that substance to your system over time. Unlike allergy shots, sublingual immunotherapy is administered under the tongue without needles. Also, you can administer it at home instead of making a trip to the doctor’s office for each treatment.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
When you’re ready to find lifelong relief from your Kentucky allergies, choose Wyndly. Our doctors will create a personalized treatment plan to provide you relief from your allergy symptoms. Using sublingual immunotherapy, you can treat your symptoms at the source.
Get your allergy consultation with Wyndly today.
Kentucky Allergy FAQs
Still have questions about Kentucky allergies? Here are some common questions and answers to help you out.
How long is Kentucky’s allergy season?
Kentucky allergy season is from late February to the first frost, usually in late October.
Why is allergy season so bad in Kentucky?
Kentucky’s topography and climate make create an ideal environment for airborne pollen.
Is Kentucky a good state if you have allergies?
Kentucky is often ranked as one of the worst states for allergies, with Louisville often ranking in the top 20 worst cities for allergies.
When is Kentucky allergy season?
Allergy season is from early spring to late fall.
What are the worst months?
The worst months are April, May, June, and September.
