Synthetic Turf Supplies Allergy-Free Alternative for Pets & People
This article was originally published on April 15, 2020. It has been updated to reflect that pets are increasingly allergic to grass, and synthetic turf makes a great solution for itchy pets as well as humans.
Each year, people sneeze, wheeze, and cough from grass allergy. Symptoms primarily worsen in Spring and Summer. Dogs and cats suffer from grass allergy, too. Unfortunately, they often go undiagnosed. Grass pollen commonly causes allergies in people and pets. In addition, contact with grass can cause an allergic reaction, too. Synthetic turf supplies an allergy-free alternative to natural grass for people and pets who suffer from grass allergies.
How Grass Makes People and Pets Sick
All grasses produce pollen. Grass pollen weighs very little, so it is easily carried in the air. Anything that’s airborne is easy to inhale. When people and pets allergic to pollen breathe in the grains of grass pollen, their bodies react with a variety of symptoms.
Symptoms in Pets
Cats and dogs show allergies differently from people. The most common symptoms of grass allergy in pets include:
- Scratching body and ears
- Licking paws
- Hot spots or red, inflamed areas of skin
- Hives
- Crusty skin patches
In addition, pets may also sneeze and have watery eyes. Left unchecked, they may also lose fur and suffer from skin infections from constant licking.
Symptoms in People
People with pollen allergies generally react with respiratory symptoms. This includes:
- Sneezing
- Wheezing
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Difficulty breathing
- Runny or stuffy nose
Less common symptoms include skin rashes, eczema, headache, and fatigue.
The Immune System and Allergies
The pollen allergy problem starts in the immune system. This system constantly looks out for germs and other invaders. In its vigilance, it makes mistakes in identification. Instead of identifying the protein in pollen as grass pollen, the immune system sees a germ or invader.
The immune system features an amazing memory and uses this memory to fight harmful germs. Once exposed, the body creates antigens to “fight” the germ. Except in the case of allergy, it identifies something like pollen as a germ. So the next time it sees the pollen, it starts fighting a germ that’s not there.
So, that’s why allergy symptoms often appear similar to cold symptoms. Remember, allergies never cause a fever.
Synthetic Turf Supplies a Pollen-Free Lawn
If you want to stop your sneezing and the dog’s scratching, you’ve got to eliminate grass pollen. Since all grass creates pollen, eliminating pollen is a challenge.
To eliminate grass seed heads, you must mow the grass short every few days. This prevents the grass from growing enough to produce pollen
This practice is very tough on the lawn, and you will end up with an unhealthy lawn. You may feel better, but the turf will look awful. Unhealthy lawns attract bugs and disease. In the end, you’ll spend more time and money on the lawn than ever before.
But replacing your grass with a synthetic turf lawn eliminates the pollen. Synthetic grass doesn’t grow, it doesn’t reproduce, and it doesn’t produce pollen. That’s why synthetic turf supplies a wonderful patch of green for you and your pets without the pollen.
Stay inside on high pollen count days
Other Ways to Reduce Grass Allergy
If you aren’t ready to let synthetic turf supply grass allergy relief, there are other ways to reduce your hay fever symptoms.
Stay indoors on high pollen count days. Consult sites like Pollen.Com to get the pollen outlook for your area. If you must venture outdoors, wear a mask. When you come inside, go to the bathroom, shower, wash your hair, put on clean clothes, and deposit pollen-filled clothes in the hamper. This prevents the spread of pollen in your house.
These tips on controlling pollen allergy at home are courtesy of The Allergy Store and brought to you by Wonder Edge. They provide the synthetic turf supplies that make switching to an allergy-free lawn easier.