Hayfever

Unlike the Midwest and East Coast where the ragweed pollen season is just starting, by September the main pollen seasons for Whatcom County are over. Pockets of moderate weed pollen counts exist, but for the most part it's all over but the shouting for allergy suffers in the Pacific Northwest.

Someone needs to explain that to my allergies.

Most cases of hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, are caused by an allergy to fall pollen from plants belonging to the genus Ambrosia, more commonly known as ragweed. Ragweed is a flowering plant from the sunflower family, also known as bitterweeds or bloodweeds. The scientific name of this genus is sometimes claimed to be derived from the Ancient Greek term for the perfumed nourishment of the Greek gods, often depicted as conferring ageless immortality upon whoever consumes it. How ironic that would be, since the genus is best known for severe and widespread allergies. They share the common etymological origin name, both being derived from ambrotos, which means "immortal". In the case of the plants, they are tenacious and hard to get rid of when they occur.

My body’s immune system mounted a vigorous response to the tiny grains of pollen released by maturing ragweed flowers, reacting to them as if they were a threat, a cascade of biochemical reactions flooding the bloodstream with histamine which causes the all-too-familiar allergy symptoms. The result: red, puffy eyes, watery and itchy, red and bloodshot. Not a pretty sight.

Autumn is a time for reflection about the great warm season that has passed. As with the seasons, and like all things, the ragweed allergy too shall pass.