Facts, Prevention, and Relief for Missouri Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyMissouri is a Midwestern state that experiences all the seasons to their fullest. The state is known for things like the major city of St. Louis, the extensive network of caves, and the variety of nature to explore. However, for seasonal allergy sufferers, Missouri isn’t the ideal location. The state has a wide variety of tree and plant life that contribute to allergy symptoms.
Missouri does get a winter break from outdoor allergies, but residents should still be wary of indoor allergens like dust mites and mold. So, if you’re a Missouri resident or visitor, what seasonal allergies should you be watching out for, and what can you do to mitigate symptoms?
Wyndly can help answer these questions and provide relief. Wyndly offers personalized allergy treatment plans for your Missouri allergies. Sign up for an allergy consultation today, or read on to learn more about Missouri allergies.
When Is Missouri Allergy Season?
Missouri is a state with cold winters, so you can expect a relatively typical allergy season, meaning allergies will start in early spring and go until the first frost of winter. Usually, you can expect allergy season to start sometime in late February or early March and go until late October or early November.
Allergens by Season
Spring, summer, and fall are the primary allergy seasons in Missouri. Here are the seasonal allergies you can expect.
Summer
Summer is Missouri’s grass allergy season. Watch for this allergy season to start around May and go until July. Grass allergies in Missouri are usually from ryegrass, timothy, Bermuda, bent, fescue, and orchard grass.
Fall
Fall is weed allergy season in Missouri. Fall allergies can start as early as August and go until winter’s first frost. Missouri weed allergies are usually from ragweed, pigweed, thistle, and marsh elder.
Winter
In winter, Missourians should find a reprieve from pollen allergies. However, residents should still take measures to curb indoor allergies, such as those to dust mites, mold, cockroaches, and pet dander.
Spring
Spring is tree allergy season. Missouri spring allergies will usually be from oak, hickory, ash, walnut, cedar, elm, cottonwood, and maple trees. Spring allergy season typically starts in late February and ends around May.
Common Allergens
Missouri residents can primarily blame their outdoor allergies on trees, grass, and weeds. Indoor allergies are also an issue for allergy sufferers.
Common Symptoms
Missouri 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
While seasonal allergies can be found all across the state of Missouri, some areas may have local allergens specific to the region. Let’s take a look at some of Missouri’s largest regions and their allergens.
Kirksville
The Kirksville area will have spring allergies from hickory, oak, walnut, ash, maple, and mulberry trees. In summer, grass allergies take over with ryegrass and bent, timothy, orchard, and grass pollen. Fall weed allergies include ragweed, orache, amaranth, and sagebrush.
Columbia/Jefferson City/Kansas City/St. Joseph
In the Columbia, Jefferson City, Kansas City, and St. Joseph areas, spring allergies may include hickory, oak, cedar, ash, and willow trees. Summer allergies are usually from bromegrass and Bermuda, timothy, bent, fescue, and brome grasses. Fall weed allergies can be attributed to ragweed, mustard, and amaranth.
Springfield/Branson/Joplin
The Springfield, Branson, and Joplin areas will contend with spring allergies from hickory, oak, willow, pecan, walnut, and mulberry tree pollen. In summer, grass allergies include ryegrass and Bermuda, timothy, bent, and fescue grasses. In fall, weed allergies include marsh elder, ragweed, and amaranth.
St. Louis/Cape Girardeau
The St. Louis and Cape Girardeau regions can expect spring allergies from hickory, oak, walnut, willow, cedar, and ash trees. In summer, grass allergies may include ryegrass and Bermuda, sweet vernal, fescue, orchard, and bent. Weed allergies in fall may include marsh elder, wormwood, ragweed, sagebrush, orache, oldman, and amaranth.
Testing and Diagnosis
It’s common for allergy seasons to intersect, and there are often a variety of different pollen types in the air at any given time. The nature of seasonal allergies makes it very difficult to pin down the source of your allergies without allergy testing. Fortunately, Wyndly makes allergy testing simple. Normally, you’d have to go to the doctor for an unpleasant test. With Wyndly, you can order an at-home test that just requires a finger prick. Order your at-home allergy test from Wyndly today.
Let’s explore 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 personalized treatment plan. Our doctor will interpret your results, create an allergy profile, and walk you through a treatment plan for your allergies.
Treatment and Remedies
Although allergy symptoms can be miserable, they’re often manageable and even treatable in some cases. Let’s take a look at some of the best remedies and treatments for allergies:
Limiting Exposure
If you know what you’re allergic to, it’s best to limit your exposure to that allergen. Airborne pollen can be difficult to avoid, but taking the following measures can help you breathe in less pollen than usual.
- Make sure to check the pollen count: Using an app or a website, check the pollen count and avoid going outside on high pollen days as much as you can. You can also wear a dust mask and sunglasses when you have to go outside on these days to reduce your exposure.
- Keep your house clean: Pollen is inevitably going to get into your home at some point. You can clean your home and remove pollen by using a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner and dusting with a wet rag. It can also be helpful to install a HEPA filter on your A/C system to cut down on pollen circulation throughout your home.
- Take off your shoes: Ensure you’re not accidentally tracking in pollen by taking your shoes off when you get home.
- Cut grass, pull weeds, and trim trees: Although pollen can travel pretty far, you can at least reduce pollen in your immediate vicinity by keeping grass short, pulling weeds, and trimming tree branches. This can reduce the amount of pollen they produce.
- Bathe often and do laundry: Make sure that you’re showering frequently and doing your laundry at least once per week. Sticky pollen can get on clothes, skin, hair, and more. At the very least, be sure to wash your hands and face a couple of times per day, especially after you’ve been outside.
Medications
When limiting your exposure isn’t offering you enough relief, you can consider over-the-counter allergy medications. They are effective for most people at temporarily providing symptom relief. Antihistamines can be helpful for most allergy symptoms. Nasal sprays, eye drops, and decongestants are a good option for more specific symptoms like a stuffy nose or itchy eyes. As a last resort, you can consult your doctor about prescription options.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
Although limiting exposure and taking allergy medications can help manage symptoms for a short time, they’re not a treatment for allergies. With sublingual immunotherapy, your immune system can be retrained to ignore allergens and provide long-term relief. Sublingual immunotherapy is an effective alternative to allergy shots that doesn’t require painful needles or frequent visits to the doctor’s office.
Get Long-Term Relief With Wyndly
If you’re struggling with your Missouri allergies, let Wyndly help. Schedule your allergy consultation and get a personalized treatment plan for your allergies.
Get your allergy consultation today, and start your journey toward an allergy-free life.
Missouri Allergy FAQs
Still have questions about Missouri allergies? Here are some common questions and answers to help you out.
How long is Missouri’s allergy season?
Missouri allergy season is a relatively normal length, going from early spring to late fall.
Is allergy season bad in Missouri?
Allergy season can be pretty bad in Missouri due to the array of trees and plant life.
Is Missouri a good state if you have allergies?
Missouri is ranked about in the middle of the 50 states when it comes to allergies. It’s not the worst but it’s not the best either.
When is the Missouri allergy season?
Missouri allergy season usually starts in late February and goes until late October or early November.
What are the worst months?
The worst months are April, May, June, and September.
