Use this fall allergy press release as:
 Materials you can distribute to local media (sample cover email below)
 Content to upload to your website and/or newsletter
 Informational flyer for patients/public
Cover Email to Media Outlets
Subject: Coming Your Way this Summer: Fall Allergy Season
Dear [INSERT REPORTER’S NAME],
You may want to think twice before you blame a cold for your sneezing and runny nose during these
final weeks of summer. Even though it’s only August, hay fever season has arrived in [INSERT CITY
NAME].
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), hay fever, which is
actually called allergic rhinitis, affects as many 15 percent of adults and children within the United
States. What is the main culprit causing suffering this late summer and fall? The ragweed plant, which
blooms from August until November.
To help [INSERT CITY NAME] locals fight fall allergies, I have included tips in the below press release that
I thought you might be interested in sharing with your readers.
Every year I see patients who begin suffering from fall allergies in the summer. I would be happy to
discuss this topic further and provide additional information about this allergy season.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
[INSERT NAME]
[INSERT PRACTICE]
Coming Your Way this Summer: Fall Allergy Season
Ragweed begins to bloom and cause allergy symptoms
[INSERT CITY], [INSERT STATE ABBREVIATION] – Before you shrug off your sneezing and runny nose to a
summer cold, you may want to think twice. Even though it’s only August, hay fever season is here,
causing misery for 15 percent of American adults and children.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), one of the main culprits
is ragweed, which comes in 17 varieties and blooms from August until November. A single plant can
release as many as one million pollen grains in a single day.
“Mold spores are also problematic throughout the summer and fall, and may outnumber pollen grains in
the air,” said allergist [INSERT NAME, INSERT PRACTICE]. “Unfortunately, climate change is making the
hay fever season last up to three weeks longer, which means even more suffering for [INSERT CITY
NAME] locals.”
Other weather changes, such as wind and rain, can also affect the severity of symptoms. For example,
wind can carry the small pollen grains from ragweed, grasses and trees up to 100 miles from its source.
To help combat fall allergy symptoms, Dr. [INSERT NAME] and the ACAAI recommend:
 Take medication before symptoms begin and don’t stop immediately after pollen is no longer
detected in the air
 Keep car and home windows closed so pollen doesn’t filter indoors
 Wear a pollen mask (such as a NIOSH rated 95 filter mask) when working outdoors
 Limit outdoor activities between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. when the air is saturated with pollen
 Make an appointment with an allergist to find relief
Trigger avoidance and allergy medication might provide great hay fever allergy relief for some, but not
for all. A board-certified allergist can provide effective treatment with medications that may go beyond
over-the-counter remedies. Immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, can provide hay fever
symptom relief while also preventing the development of asthma and other allergies.
If you think you might be suffering from hay fever or another allergy, you can track your symptoms and
identify your triggers with the free My Nasal Allergy Journal, available at
www.MyNasalAllergyJournal.org.