Rain or Shine, Allergies Are Tough. What's the Link to Weather?

If you think frequent changes in weather are triggering your allergies, you may be right.

A shift from a cold front to a rainy day then back to warm weather can have an impact on those with allergies, says Dr. David Corry, professor of medicine-immunology, allergy and rheumatology at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston.

“People who have allergies, sinusitis, asthma or any other airway inflammatory disease frequently complain that their symptoms get worse with changes in the weather, and it seems like it’s when various fronts come through and there is a big temperature change,” Corry adds.

How weather can affect your allergy symptoms

Pollen, mold and changes in humidity can all have an impact, Corry explains.

Tree and grass pollen are among the most common environmental allergens for those who have seasonal allergies. Warm and cold fronts can carry pollen in air from other parts of the country, he shares.

“When fronts come from the West to the East, they can bring a lot of pollen, particularly in the ‘cedar fever’ season, which is roughly during mid-January to February,” Corry said in a Baylor news release. “Those fronts can bring in that cedar pollen, which is extremely abundant and irritating.”

And, when it’s wet outside because of rain or thunderstorms, mold can bloom and trigger allergies.