Your eyes burn and itch, your sinuses are inflamed and you can't stop sneezing. Many North Floridians know that fall means not only cooler days and falling leaves, but also pollen season. Outdoor pollens such as ragweed and spiny pigweed are responsible for a lot of misery. Pollen grains are released from these plants and are blown by the wind into your nose, eyes, sinuses and upper airways. This causes histamine to be released from cells in the body.
Histamine is responsible for many allergy symptoms such as sneezing and nasal congestion.
That is why antihistamines help in treating allergies, because they block the mean, mean histamine. Many allergy sufferers incorrectly think that goldenrod is responsible for their symptoms. This pretty plant is unfairly blamed for ragweed's effects because both plants bloom at the same time. Pretty plants rarely cause allergies because they are pollinated by bees, which are attracted to the perfumed nectar. Allergenic plants have inconspicuous flowers and smaller, buoyant pollen that is more plentiful in the air.