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There's a lot you may not know about a common allergen.
Ragweed has more to do with hay fever than real hay does. The two main kinds of ragweed together account for more hay fever than all other plants combined. There's the short version, which grows from one to five feet tall, and a "giant" version that can grow to be up to 15 feet tall. Ragweed grows best in hot, dry climates and is especially common in the central United States.
Allergy specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say that as common as ragweed is, there are a number of myths and misconceptions associated with it.
For one thing, it's commonly believed that most people are allergic to ragweed. That's not true, but it is true that ragweed is the most common pollen allergy. If you do have pollen allergies, you're most likely to have an allergy to ragweed.
Another misconception is that you need to be near a ragweed plant to have an allergic reaction. Actually, ragweed pollen can be carried by the wind for hundreds of miles. Ragweed pollen has been found in air samples taken at sea. We generally think of morning as the peak time for pollen, but with ragweed, peak time is mid-day.
Finally, it's no longer true that antihistamines for fighting ragweed allergies make you drowsy. Non-drowsy medications are now available over the counter and by prescription.
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Sept. 2004
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