Dallas City Wire

• Fall allergies typically begin in August and can last through October.

• To diagnose allergies, doctors may recommend either a blood test or a skin test.

• Some treatment options include over-the-counter medications, nasal sprays and immunotherapy.

Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told Dallas City Wire that there are several options for allergy testing available. People who suffer from seasonal allergies often start to experience the symptoms of fall allergy triggers during August, as ragweed starts to expel pollen into the air.

These symptoms can last through September and October as well. The wind can carry ragweed pollen for hundreds of miles, so people who don't live near ragweed can still be affected. Another common fall allergy trigger is mold, which can grow in piles of damp leaves. 

"It's definitely been refined over time," Trimble said. "Our panels are limited to what is most common in this area, and then we do pretesting, but I would say that for most people it's not 100 things. It's definitely a much smaller panel. I think people do pretty well with that. Obviously there is blood testing available. At the end of the day, it's just it's kind of nice to know if people are allergic to certain things or not. A big one that I always tell patients is that if you're allergic to dust mites and don't know it, most people are not going to take the precautions they need, so finding that out can be pretty helpful."

Seasonal allergy sufferers may be affected by dust mites, which can begin to stir as people turn on the heat in their houses for the first time during the fall. Dust mites are also found in schools, and they can affect students returning to their classes. Typical allergy symptoms consist of runny noses, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, and itchy eyes and noses.

To diagnose allergies, doctors will look over the patient's symptoms and medical history and then may recommend either a blood test or a skin test, according to WebMD. For a skin test, the doctor will put a small amount of the allergen on the patient's skin, typically on the forearm or back. If the patient is allergic to that particular allergen, a small, itchy bump will appear.

Depending on the type and severity of your allergies, your doctor could recommend various treatment options. Some treatments options include over-the-counter medications, nasal sprays, immunotherapy, allergy shots or, for very severe allergies, carrying an emergency epinephrine shot, such as an EpiPen.

If you have allergies and are considering seeking treatment, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.