Environmental Allergies

Nature’s most mischievous minions are pollen (from trees, grasses, and weeds), mold spores, dust mites, and pet dander. For city-dwellers, add air pollution to the mix—it can turbocharge allergen effects and irritate the airways.

Spring and fall are the peak seasons for allergy symptoms because that’s when trees, grasses, and weeds ramp up their pollen production as part of their natural reproductive cycles.

In spring, trees like alder, birch, and maple release vast quantities of tiny pollen grains into the air to fertilize other trees, while in fall, weeds such as ragweed send out their own airborne allergens. A mild, damp climate (for instance Vancouver) allows many plants—and molds—to thrive nearly year-round, and shifting temperatures means you’re exposed to new waves of pollen with every change in season.

When these particles enter your nose, eyes, or throat, your immune system gets defensive, reacting with inflammation that causes the classic symptoms: sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes, and runny nose. The combination of plenty of plant activity and an enthusiastic immune response makes spring and fall prime time for allergy misery.

Every year, allergies seem to get worse in cities around the world because climate change is turning up the pollen dial: warmer temperatures and higher CO₂ are lengthening pollen seasons and boosting allergen production, while urban development brings more air pollution and moisture-loving molds that further irritate your airways. To top it off, the more your immune system gets pelted with pollen, the more sensitized—and reactive—it can become over time.

Special note for Vancouver (and similar cities): Vancouver’s urban strategy of planting mostly male trees to avoid sticky, fruit-laden sidewalks has had an unintended sneezy side effect—male trees produce far more pollen, supercharging the city’s allergen count each spring and summer. Cities like Toronto, Calgary, and even parts of the U.S. have followed suit, creating landscapes of “botanical bachelors” that shower us with pollen, making urban allergy seasons even more intense.

The upshot? Climate, city planning, and your immune system’s memory are teaming up for record-breaking allergy years—especially in leafy, well-landscaped cities like Vancouver.

With a few smart tweaks, you can absolutely keep exploring the outdoors—even during peak pollen season.

Start by timing your outings: pollen counts are usually highest in the early morning and on hot, dry, windy days, so aim to head outside in the late afternoon or after it rains, when the air is clearer.

Dress the part—sunglasses protect your eyes, and a hat with a brim helps keep pollen out of your hair and face. Once you’re back inside, shower and change clothes to wash off any pollen you brought home.

Pro tip: dry laundry indoors to avoid turning your clothesline into a pollen collector.
 

Check local pollen forecasts before planning hikes, gardening, or other outdoor activities. When counts are high, skip grassy fields and wooded areas. On especially bad days, it’s okay to opt for indoor adventures instead.

 Consider taking an antihistamine 30–60 minutes before heading out to preempt symptoms, and use HEPA filters and air conditioning indoors to keep pollen at bay. And no matter how nice the breeze is, try to keep windows closed during peak pollen hours to avoid triggering symptoms indoors.

 A little planning goes a long way—your lungs (and nose) will thank you.

Across most cities, the usual allergy culprits are certain tree pollens (like birch, oak, maple, and cedar), common grasses (such as rye, Timothy, and Bermuda), and a variety of molds (like Cladosporium and Alternaria) that love damp environments. These allergens float through the air, infiltrate homes, and can trigger classic allergy symptoms in sensitive individuals year after year.

Vancouver spotlight: In Vancouver, alder, birch, and maple are especially prolific pollen producers, and local grasses—like Timothy, rye, and Kentucky bluegrass—add to the seasonal mix. Thanks to Vancouver’s moist climate, molds such as Cladosporium and Alternaria thrive both outdoors and indoors (in basements, bathrooms, and any humid spots), making the city a double whammy for both pollen and mold allergy sufferers.

Nasal steroid sprays (fluticasone, mometasone, budesonide, etc.) are first-line for allergy control: they shrink nasal swelling, block the allergic cascade, relieve congestion, sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes, and are safe enough for everyday, long-term use. Using them consistently (rather than "as needed") works best.

Oral antihistamines (cetirizine, loratadine, fexofenadine, desloratadine): modern choices cause less drowsiness than classics (diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine) and are excellent for itchy, sneezy symptoms. They act fast and are great for daytime use.

Antihistamine eye drops help with itchy or watery eyes, and decongestant sprays or pills (like pseudoephedrine) can relieve stuffiness for short periods—but decongestant sprays shouldn’t be used for more than 3-5 days in a row to avoid rebound congestion.
Leukotriene inhibitors (like montelukast) are sometimes added for stubborn allergy symptoms, especially if you have asthma as well.

Prescription options: For moderate to severe allergies, we may use stronger or combination-spray formulas, prescription eye drops, or oral medications. If medications aren’t enough, allergy immunotherapy (shots or tablets) may be the solution for long-haul symptom control. We will help you find your ideal combo—think of it as personalized allergy “engineering.”

At Gravity Health, our naturopathic doctors offer skin prick testing (SPT) for the most common environmental allergens, including pollens, dust mites, molds, and pet dander. We follow clinical protocols using standardized extracts, and all testing is performed by licensed NDs certified to conduct allergy testing in BC.

In addition to SPT, we also offer serum IgE blood testing when skin testing isn’t appropriate or when further investigation is needed—such as food allergens, mold, or pet dander panels. One major advantage of choosing Gravity is access: no referral is required, and most patients can be tested within a few weeks.

In contrast, seeing an allergist typically requires a referral from your GP and wait times can stretch up to a year. While allergists provide the gold standard for diagnosing and managing complex or high-risk allergies—such as drug or anaphylactic food allergies, or when intradermal or oral challenge testing is needed—naturopathic allergy testing is an excellent, timely option for those dealing with seasonal or environmental allergies, and allows us to build an integrative plan to reduce symptoms and support immune function.

Allergy shots (Subcutaneous Immunotherapy, SCIT): You receive gradually increasing doses of allergens injected under the skin, usually in a allergist's office. It’s considered the most established approach—excellent at retraining your immune system, reducing symptoms long-term, and even preventing new allergies or asthma. They require regular clinic visits (often weekly at first, then monthly) for 3–5 years.

SLIT (Sublingual Immunotherapy): You place a fast-dissolving tablet or liquid (containing the allergen) under the tongue at home. It’s less invasive than shots, easier to fit into busy schedules, and is especially effective for grass, ragweed, and dust mite allergies. SLIT is safe, with rare risk of severe reactions, but can cause mouth itching or stomach upset. Like shots, it retrains your immune system over several years but may not be available for all allergens.

Butterbur (Petasites): Standardized, pyrrolizidine alkaloid–free butterbur extract has been shown in several studies to reduce hay fever symptoms as effectively as cetirizine or fexofenadine—but only use PA-free products to avoid liver risk.

Quercetin and Vitamin C: Both have some data for stabilizing mast cells (the body’s histamine “exploders”) and mildly reducing symptoms. Best used preventatively rather than as rescue therapy.

Stinging nettle: Some small trials show that dried, freeze-dried, or cooked nettle can reduce symptom severity, likely via anti-inflammatory and antihistamine effects.

Nasal saline rinses: Cost-effective, safe, and proven to literally wash allergens out of your nose, ease congestion, and reduce nasal swelling—best used daily during allergy season.

Lifestyle: Using HEPA filters at home, frequent vacuuming, avoiding outdoor yard work on high-pollen days, and showering after coming inside all make a real difference to limit exposure.

Environmental allergies and MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) both involve the same immune system culprits: mast cells—our body’s “first responders” in allergic reactions.

In classic environmental allergies, these cells are triggered by familiar substances like pollen, dust, mold, or pet dander. When exposed, your immune system “remembers” the allergen and prompts mast cells to release histamine and other chemicals, resulting in symptoms like sneezing, itching, congestion, and watery eyes.

MCAS, on the other hand, takes things a step further. In this condition, mast cells become overly sensitive and unpredictable. They can release histamine and other inflammatory mediators in response to a wide range of non-allergic triggers—such as certain foods, stress, temperature changes, infections, or even scents and medications. Symptoms may resemble allergies (hives, flushing, nasal congestion, GI upset, brain fog), but they occur even in the absence of a specific allergen and often affect multiple systems in the body.

In short: environmental allergies are mast cells reacting to specific allergens. MCAS is mast cells overreacting to nearly anything.
Some people with severe or chronic allergies may also have overlapping signs of MCAS—especially when symptoms persist year-round, shift unpredictably, or involve more than just the respiratory tract. If your allergy symptoms seem to have “a life of their own,” it may be worth looking deeper.