Summer Allergies
Prior to technology and the microscope, scientist observed that certain patients have a runny nose with sneeze while cutting grass or hay in the summer, and at the time was felt to be an infection. They called this “hay fever,” rose or summer catarrh thinking cause and effect with something they can see in the vicinity. Uncut grass here seen in our backyard is now pollinating and mother nature is on que with the start of grass season typically the first week of June. Subsequently, microscopic discovery and allergy doctors who themselves had allergy were able to visualize the pollens and conclude cause and effect. See picture of grass pollen below.
Timothy pollen seen below is typical of Poacea or grass in Latin. Hay bails are from timothy grass around our area. Grass pollens are the predominant pollens in summer.
I get a lot of questions about gardens, shrubs, and flowers being the cause of allergy. The picture of the woman above sneezing is probably having true hay fever symptoms from the grass, instead of her garden and other flowering plants seen in the back ground. My blog on insect pollination, entymophily talks about the fragrance and methods of such plants as natural, but their pollens are not allergenic. Below the first week of June are typical flowers in our garden. The fragrant lilacs are a couple of weeks late this year. Peonies are crimson red. Irises popped open over night with the now typical summer temperatures. Enjoy these scenes and events, with or without your allergies. Our garden is graced by the presence of Frankie aka St. Francis, apropo for this scene.
If you have allergies, rinse and shower as soon as you can, get treated as you see fit, but your garden is not a source of allergy.
