Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsDiagnosisFood AllergiesTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Food Allergies
Treatment
Interestingly, grass allergy can also be associated with pollen food allergy syndrome, resulting in allergies to tomatoes, potatoes, and peanuts. Usually, symptoms of pollen food allergy syndrome are mild, but in rare cases, symptoms are severe and warrant epinephrine carriage.
Grass pollen is most present in the air during the late spring or early summer months, and it’s known to cause a variety of different allergic symptoms, such as:
Less commonly, direct contact with grass may result inallergic reactions, such as itching, urticaria (also called hives), and eczema (also called atopic dermatitis).
What a Grass Rash Looks Like and How to Find Relief
If you think you might have a grass allergy, speak to your healthcare provider and get tested. There are two major classes of grass: northern and southern grasses. Northern grasses are common in colder climates and include timothy, rye, orchard, sweet vernal, red top, and bluegrasses. Southern grasses are present in warmer climates; Bermuda grass is the major grass in this category.
If you have a grass allergy, you are more likely to be allergic to most types of grasses, if not all grasses, since grass pollens all have very similar proteins that cause allergies. Still, to be certain, anallergy testcan determine which strains you are allergic to.
An allergy test may consist of a blood or skin prick test. In the skin prick test, a liquid drop of grass extract (the allergen) is pricked onto the skin surface of the back or forearm.Control skin prick tests are also placed using histamine (positive) and saline (negative). If a red, raised area develops to the grass extract and to the positive control but not to the negative control within 15 minutes or so, then the test is positive, indicating you have a grass allergy.
An allergy test may consist of a blood or skin prick test. In the skin prick test, a liquid drop of grass extract (the allergen) is pricked onto the skin surface of the back or forearm.
Control skin prick tests are also placed using histamine (positive) and saline (negative). If a red, raised area develops to the grass extract and to the positive control but not to the negative control within 15 minutes or so, then the test is positive, indicating you have a grass allergy.
Association With Food Allergies
If you have a confirmed grass allergy, there are ways to decrease your exposure and lessen your symptoms.
Over-the-counter solutions:There are over-the-counter (OTC) remedies, such asnasal saline sprays or rinses, that may ease your symptoms. These sprays can hydrate the inside of your nose, reducing congestion. In addition, the nasal steroid spray Flonase (fluticasone propionate) is also OTC and can reduce inflammation in your nose. You can talk with your healthcare provider about using it, though, if you prefer, since it may cause some side effects.
Prescription medication:Severe allergies may require prescription medication. You can also try immunotherapy—the introduction of small amounts of an allergen into your system—which, in time, may lessen your reaction to grass.
Immunotherapy:Immunotherapycan be administered as allergy shots (called subcutaneous immunotherapy) or sublingually, in which a tablet containing grass pollen is held underneath the tongue. Subcutaneous immunotherapy may be more effective, but sublingual immunotherapy is probably more convenient and comfortable. In addition, whole-body or systemic reactions to the dissolvable tablets occur more rarely with the tablets compared to the shots.
There are currently two FDA-approved sublingual (under-the-tongue) tablets for treating allergic rhinitis (with or without allergic conjunctivitis) in children and adults from a grass pollen allergy:
A Word From Verywell
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Mowing Down Your Grass Allergies.Sussman G, Sussman A, Sussman D.Oral Allergy Syndrome.CMAJ.2010;182(11):1210-1211. doi:10.1503/cmaj.090314Additional ReadingDi Bona D, Plaia A, Leto-Barone MS, La Piana S, Di Lorenzo G.Efficacy of Grass Pollen Allergen Sublingual Immunotherapy Tablets for Seasonal Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Aug;175(8):1301-9.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Mowing Down Your Grass Allergies.Sussman G, Sussman A, Sussman D.Oral Allergy Syndrome.CMAJ.2010;182(11):1210-1211. doi:10.1503/cmaj.090314Additional ReadingDi Bona D, Plaia A, Leto-Barone MS, La Piana S, Di Lorenzo G.Efficacy of Grass Pollen Allergen Sublingual Immunotherapy Tablets for Seasonal Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Aug;175(8):1301-9.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Mowing Down Your Grass Allergies.Sussman G, Sussman A, Sussman D.Oral Allergy Syndrome.CMAJ.2010;182(11):1210-1211. doi:10.1503/cmaj.090314
American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Mowing Down Your Grass Allergies.
Sussman G, Sussman A, Sussman D.Oral Allergy Syndrome.CMAJ.2010;182(11):1210-1211. doi:10.1503/cmaj.090314
Di Bona D, Plaia A, Leto-Barone MS, La Piana S, Di Lorenzo G.Efficacy of Grass Pollen Allergen Sublingual Immunotherapy Tablets for Seasonal Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JAMA Intern Med. 2015 Aug;175(8):1301-9.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
