Health&Wellness Magazine May 2016 | Page 30

30 & May 2016 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net | Like us @healthykentucky What Triggers Seasonal Allergies? Knowing what starts the sneezing and wheezing can help you control it By Harleena Singh, Staff Writer Almost one in five Americans suffers from seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever. This malady occurs when a person’s immune system overreacts to an outdoor allergen such as pollen. Seasonal allergies are less common during the winter, but as various plants emit their respective pollens at different times of the year, symptoms of hay fever may affect a person all year through, depending on his or her immune system and where he or she lives. Usually the immune system doesn’t respond to mild substances such as pollen and mold, but in sensitive people, the body’s defense mechanism views these allergens as infectious a