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Seasonal allergies

Seasonal Allergies: Causes and Symptoms

Don’t let seasonal allergies hold you back

Allergy season is different for everyone. That’s because different kinds of outdoor allergens — or irritants — get distributed into the air year-round. So your seasonal allergies happen from exposure to whatever pollen is being released by the local grass, trees, mould spores, and ragweed whenever that occurs.1

Outdoor mould allergies

Mould spores and fragments exist naturally in the air we breathe. The amount that people are exposed to depends on various factors including the season, surrounding land, wind, and people’s activities / actions both indoors and outdoors.

Breathing in mould spores and fragments can trigger nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing and respiratory infections. It can also worsen allergic conditions. Contact with mould can also irritate eyes and skin.2

Pollen allergies

Many Australians suffer through allergy symptoms due to exposure to tree, grass and weed pollen. Symptoms include3:

  • Sneezing
  • Nasal congestion
  • Runny nose
  • Watery eyes
  • Itchy throat or eyes

Ragweed allergies

Ragweed allergies are a specific type of pollen allergy. Ragweed is a plant that is native to America, but now grows along the coast of NSW and in the Northern Tablelands. Ragweed produces up to a billion pollen grains per plant and is responsible for a significant amount of allergic responses in people who live within areas that ragweed grows.4

Avoid bringing pollen into your home by removing clothes that you’ve worn outdoors and washing them right away. 

Symptoms of ragweed allergies include5:

  • Sneezing
  • Itchy nose or throat
  • Itchy eyes
  • Stuffy or runny nose

Tips to Minimise Seasonal Allergies

Here are some tips to minimize seasonal allergies.1

  • Stay indoors when the pollen count is high
  • Keep windows closed
  • Use an air conditioner if needed 
  • Save outdoor activities for late afternoon
  • Avoid gardening when your allergies are active
  • Wear a face mask, when you work outdoors
  • Keep pollen out of your eyes with wraparound glasses
  • Keep grass well-trimmed
  • Remove pollen from your skin and hair by rinsing after being outside

If you experience sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes or an itchy nose or throat, nasal congestion, Telfast products may be able to help. Now you can live your greatness — during any season.

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References

  1. NIH Medline Plus Magazine, Editors. What triggers seasonal allergies?, NIH Medline Plus Magazine (magazine.medlineplus.gov) [cited August 2025] 
     
  2. enHealth. Potential health effects of mould in the environment. 2022. Available at: https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022/07/enhealth-guidance-potential-health-effects-of-mould-in-the-environment.pdf (accessed Sep 2025) 
     
  3. American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Editors. Pollen Allergy, American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (acaai.org) [cited August 2025] 
     
  4. NSW Government Department of Primary Industries. WeedWise. Annual Ragweed Profile. https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/Annualragweed [cited August 2025] 
     
  5. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Editors. Ragweed Pollen Allergy, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (aafa.org),2019 [cited August 2025]