Facts, Prevention and Relief for Utah Allergies in 2024
Beat your allergies forever.
Get Started With WyndlyUtah’s hot, dry climate creates the perfect environment for many tree, weed, and grass pollens to thrive throughout most of the year. These airborne allergens will fluctuate based on the season, so it’s good to know which allergens are higher based on the time of year.
So, what are Utah’s seasonal allergies and how can you avoid them? Better yet, how can you treat your symptoms instead of just managing them?
Wyndly offers a great solution for long-term allergy relief. Get a personalized treatment plan now or read on to learn more about Utah’s common allergens and its allergy seasons.
When is Utah Allergy Season?
Utah has a common allergy season, with spring being the beginning and allergies tapering off in the wintertime. With that being said, Utah can stay warmer for longer than many other states, which can extend allergy season. You may experience allergies all year depending on what you’re allergic to or you may just experience them during certain seasons. Let’s take a look at what allergens are most prominent based on the time of year.
Allergens by Season
Allergens will vary by season in Utah. Let’s break down each season:
Summer
Like most states, summer will bring grass allergies to the forefront. Bermuda grass, Timothy grass, Wild oat, and Orchard grass are amongst the biggest pollinators. Fortunately, one of Utah’s most common grass species, Kentucky Bluegrass, is not known to be particularly allergenic.
Fall
Once fall hits, you’ll see ragweed allergies take over in Utah. Ragweed, pigweed, sagebrush, and tumbleweed are common culprits here.
Winter
Once the first hard frost hits, the allergy season will be done in Utah for a short while. Once temperatures start to warm back up, trees will begin their pollinating season. This typically begins in February.
Spring
As with many states, spring is typically a difficult time for Utah allergy sufferers. There are a wide variety of trees that pollinate during springtime, including maple, birch, poplar, ash, walnut, juniper, mesquite, cypress, oak, elm, cedar, and more. Grass allergies will also begin to kick up in spring.
Common Allergens
Utah is not abnormal when it comes to common allergens. As with many states in the US, grass, weeds, and trees tend to cause the most issues. Indoor allergies can also be present all year.
Common Symptoms
Allergy symptoms are fairly universal, regardless of where you live. If you’re experiencing allergies in Utah, you may expect symptoms such as:
- Runny nose
- Coughing
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Headaches
- Scratchy throat
- Itchy eyes
- Watery eyes
- Hives
- Asthma symptoms
Allergy symptoms may be severe or mild depending on the person. You may experience one or multiple allergy symptoms.
Allergens Around the State
Bermuda grass and ragweed can be found just about everywhere, and Utah is no exception. As for tree allergies, those can be more localized to certain regions of Utah. Let’s take a look at the different allergens around the state.
Salt Lake City/Provo
The Salt Lake City/Provo region has the same grass and weed problems as most large cities, and a diverse array of pollinating trees to cause issues in spring. Spring tree allergens include pollen from maple, birch, poplar, ash, walnut, juniper, mesquite, cypress, and more.
Logan
Logan area residents may find themselves having trouble with ragweed, sagebrush, and bermuda grass in summer and fall. When spring kicks off, trees like boxelder, maples, hackberry, and juniper can cause issues.
Vernal/Moab
Vernal/Moab area residents also deal with the typical grass and weed allergies before spring allergies go into full force later in the year. Tree allergens in Vernal/Moab include cottonwood, juniper, boxelder, and hackberry.
St. George
In the St. George area, tree allergies can usually be blamed on oak, olive, alder, mulberry, and ash trees. Ragweed, bermuda grass, and tumbleweed also cause issues through summer and fall.
Testing and Diagnosis
If you’re dealing with allergy symptoms in Utah, it’s a good idea to get an allergy test. An allergy test will reveal which specific allergens are causing you the most issues. This makes it easier to treat your allergies or avoid your triggers. At-home allergy tests make finding your allergy triggers easy and convenient.
Here’s How It Works:
Old Fashioned Method: Skin Prick Test at Your Doctor’s Office
A skin prick test is one way to diagnose allergies, albeit a painful and inconvenient one. A skin prick test involves scratching your skin with a needle dipped in different allergen substances. Your skin's reactions indicate which allergies are a trigger for you and which aren’t. This method is itchy, uncomfortable, and requires a time-consuming doctor visit. There are better methods if you’d prefer to avoid a skin prick test.
Modern and Efficient Method Taken At-Home:
An at-home test from Wyndly is easy, pain-free, and doesn’t require a doctor visit. Here’s how it works.
- Get an at-home allergy test. We’ll send you our CLIA-certified test straight to your door.
- Take the allergy test and return it via our envelope. Take our pain-free finger prick test and send it back to us via mail, with the provided envelope.
- Receive your personal allergy profile. Our doctors interpret your allergy profile and create a custom treatment plan to address your specific allergens.
Treatment and Remedies
Allergy sufferers have various paths to relief, some temporary and some long-term. Let’s take a look at the different methods to manage and treat your symptoms:
Prevention and avoidance
The first thing you’ll want to try is avoiding your triggers and preventing yourself from having extensive contact with your allergens. Here are some things you can do:
- Stay inside on high pollen days: Check an app or website to see the pollen count. On high pollen days, you may want to stay indoors as much as possible
- Wipe pets off when they come inside: Your pets can easily track pollen in. Make sure to wipe them off with a towel when they come inside
- Vacuum floors and remove carpet: Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce pollen in the home. You can also remove carpet, where pollen can build up more easily.
- Keep windows closed: Pollen can blow in through your windows, so try to keep them closed.
- Shower frequently: Make sure to get pollen off your hair and skin when you get home for the day.
- Wash clothes frequently: Wash clothes to remove pollen from them.
Medications
Over-the-counter medications can provide temporary relief when avoidance isn’t working. Antihistamines, eye drops, and nasal corticosteroids are common medications to help combat allergy symptoms.
Sublingual Immunotherapy Allergy Drops
Sublingual immunotherapy allergy drops are a safe and effective way to actually treat symptoms. By gradually introducing an allergen to your immune system in small, incrementally increasing doses your body can learn to ignore the substance instead of triggering an allergic response. These drops can help you find lifelong relief.
Get Long-term Relief with Wyndly
When you want to find long-term relief from allergies, choose Wyndly. It all starts with our convenient and painless at-home test. Once we have your results, our doctors will create an allergy profile and a treatment plan for you. Using sublingual immunotherapy, also known as allergy drops, your body can learn to ignore allergy triggers. Unlike allergy shots, another form of immunotherapy, allergy drops can be sent right to your door and don’t require painful needles or a doctor’s visit.
Get a personalized treatment plan from Wyndly if you want to start living better and allergy-free.
Utah Allergy FAQs
If you still have questions, we’ve broken down some frequently asked questions about Utah allergies below:
How long is Utah’s allergy season?
Utah’s allergy season can start as early as February and will typically end at the first hard frost of winter.
Why is allergy season so bad in Utah?
Hot, dry, and windy climates make Utah the perfect place for pollen to travel and thrive without getting weighed down. With that being said, volatile Utah weather can sometimes help reduce pollen in the air with the right conditions.
Is Utah a good state if you have allergies?
Utah does give you a break in winter, but those with tree allergies may find Utah difficult in spring, due to the diverse range of tree species.
How is Salt Lake City for allergies?
According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, Salt Lake City is ranked number 97 on a ranking of allergy capitals for people with allergies, making it one of the least challenging cities for allergies.
What are the worst months?
The worst months will depend on your allergies. If you have grass allergies, summer will be the worst. Fall is the worst if you have weed allergies. Spring is the worst for trees.
