AH, THE COTTAGE. All that sunshine and fresh air. And trees, with their pollen. And stinging insects. And—be honest—a little mould in the basement. This stuff can get annoying for any cottager. But for a cottager with allergies, it can ruin precious lakeside time.
And, thanks to climate change, many allergy sufferers are worse off than ever. “Tree pollen season starts later than it used to and can overlap with grass pollen season,” says Anne Ellis, a professor in the department of medicine at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. “So if you’re allergic to both, late spring-early summer is not a fun time for you.” What?! The cottage is supposed to be fun!
But don’t give up hope. If itching, sneezing, and wheezing are killing the good vibes this summer, consider these common allergy culprits—and what you can do about them.
PLANT POLLEN
Plant pollen. Ragweed is a top offender, particularly in Ontario and Quebec. Other weeds, some pasture grasses (timothy, for example), and plenty of native trees, including maple, willow, ash, pine, oak, and
