It’s Time to Play: Allergies or Illness? Spring in Arizona!

It's time to play my favorite game: Is it Allergies?? or Is it Illness??

If you guess wrong, you could infect your family and co-workers with RSV, the flu, or the new perennial favorite, COVID-19! Either way, you win a mountain of tissues, and more than your fair share of sideways glances from strangers!

Are you itchy and sneezy right now? Yeah. Me, too.

As much as I appreciate and love Arizona as the weather gets warmer, I don't love what it does to my eyes, and my throat, and my sinuses. Oh, and my nasal passages.

The Peak of Allergy Season in Arizona

Arizona is a dusty mess most of the year—so much so that many of us have allergies all year long.

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However, with the wind picking up, the blooming mesquite and Palo Verde trees, the wildflowers, and other beautiful allergens floating through the air, Spring is an especially good time to test your upper respiratory limits.

The spring flowers are beautiful, right now. Or so I've heard.

It's hard to tell through watery eyes. The good news is that peak allergy season in Arizona doesn't last forever. Grab a Kleenex and your favorite non-drowsy antihistamine. Here's what you need to know.

Tips for Dealing with Seasonal Allergies in Arizona

What to Expect When You're Expecting Allergies in Arizona

According to Allermi.com, your allergy triggers and the peak of allergy season depends on where you live in our state.

Typically, allergy season in Arizona is at its height sometime between mid-spring and late fall.

In the Spring, you'll be especially miserable if you're allergic to tree pollen. Grass pollen will test your patience from late spring into early summer. Ragweed and other pollen-spewing weeds will take you to the edge of sanity in the fall.

If you live in Northern Arizona, you'll find a slightly different variation on this theme. Here's what you can typically expect:

• Spring. From February to April, tree pollen dominates the air (and your lungs).
• Late Spring to Early Summer: From May to June, grass pollens launch their misery into your respiratory system.
• Fall: September and October are ragweed season. They share their pollen-angst with everyone.

Reclaim Your Life During Migraine Season in Arizona

If you're only allergic to one thing on this list, you probably have about two solid months of misery. If you're allergic to everything, which I'm pretty sure I am, at least November through January isn't bad, right?

If you don't have a fever and allergy medicine is at least keeping your symptoms at bay, you can run errands in public without worrying about spreading your misery to others. Thanks to your body's misguided immune system, you're probably not sick, only bitterly uncomfortable with a parade of Arizona allergies!

Sources: AZ Allergy | Allermi.com