Why are fall allergies and asthma worse in September? It’s Asthma Peak Week!
Key Takeaways
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There’s a reason your asthma or allergies seem to get worse every September. Ragweed pollen often peaks around this time, mold levels can rise, respiratory illnesses spread as students return to school and changing weather or air quality can irritate sensitive airways. When these fall triggers converge, asthma peaks in the Philadelphia area.
What is Asthma Peak Week?
Asthma Peak Week refers to the third week of September, when asthma attacks and related emergency visits have traditionally increased.
And the timing isn’t just a coincidence. September brings several common asthma triggers together at once, including ragweed pollen, mold, respiratory illnesses, poor indoor air quality and weather changes. For children, returning to school can add even more exposure to allergens, irritants and viruses.
Asthma Peak Week is a useful reminder, but it isn’t the only time to be careful.
An updated 2026 analysis from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) found that asthma-related emergency department visits begin increasing in September and October and can continue climbing into the winter respiratory season.
Why is Asthma Worse In the Fall?
Fall asthma flare-ups rarely have just one cause. For many people, several seasonal triggers overlap.
- Ragweed and Fall Allergies
Ragweed is one of the most common fall allergy triggers. Weed pollen season begins in late summer and continues into fall, with ragweed pollen reaching high levels around September. If you have allergic asthma and are sensitive to ragweed, this pollen exposure can cause allergies while also triggering asthma symptoms.
The overlap can make it difficult to find the true cause without an accurate diagnosis. However, these signs may help point you in the right direction:
- Allergy symptoms commonly include sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose and itchy or watery eyes.
- Asthma symptoms are more likely to include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.
- Coughing can occur due to allergies and asthma.
Up to 80–90% of people with asthma also have underlying allergies, making allergy testing a crucial step in managing your symptoms. Read our blog, “Are Asthma and Allergies Connected?” to learn more about how asthma and allergies can affect each other.
- Mold, Weather and Air Quality
Fall leaves may look nice, but piles of damp, decaying plant material can create a good environment for outdoor mold, which can irritate the airways and worsen allergy or asthma symptoms, especially during damp or humid weather.
Environmental triggers, including lingering heat and humidity, sudden temperature changes, thunderstorms and wildfire smoke, can all affect sensitive airways. Poor air quality may be especially noticeable when you’re already dealing with pollen, mold or another asthma trigger. In the Philadelphia area, keeping an eye on changing weather and local air quality can be one more way to recognize conditions that may affect your symptoms.
- Back-to-school illnesses and indoor triggers
September also marks the return to classrooms, sports, activities and other crowded indoor settings. When children return to school, close contact makes it easier for respiratory illnesses such as colds, flu, RSV and COVID-19 to spread. For someone with asthma, a respiratory infection can inflame already-sensitive airways and make symptoms harder to control.
If you’re a parent who’s noticed your child experiencing a sudden change in symptoms at the start of the school year, it may be time to make an appointment with your allergy specialist. For quick, actionable tips, consult our back-to-school allergy survival guide.
How Can You Prepare for Asthma Peak Week?
You can’t stop ragweed from blooming or keep every cold out of the classroom. However, you can prepare before your symptoms worsen.
These tips can help you keep asthma symptoms at bay this fall:
Review your asthma treatment plan. Make sure you know which medications to take regularly, when to use quick-relief medication and what to do if symptoms get worse. If you’re reaching for your rescue inhaler more often than usual or waking at night because of asthma, talk with your allergy and asthma specialist.
Know your allergy triggers. Ragweed and mold are common in the fall, but everyone’s allergies are different. Allergy testing can help pinpoint what’s causing your symptoms so you can make more useful changes instead of trying to avoid every possible allergen.
Watch pollen counts and air quality. Before spending a long day outside, check local pollen conditions and the Air Quality Index. Keeping windows closed on high-pollen days, changing clothes after being outdoors and using filtered indoor air may also help reduce exposure.
If your symptoms begin to flare up when air quality drops, we recommend reading our blog, “Air Quality May Be Worsening Your Asthma and Allergy Symptoms,” for answers.
Prepare for the school year. If your child has asthma, make sure teachers, coaches and the school nurse know about it. Confirm where medications are kept, whether your child can carry a rescue inhaler and what the school should do if symptoms become serious.
Take respiratory illnesses seriously. Handwashing, avoiding close contact with others who are sick and keeping up with recommended vaccines can help reduce the chance that a respiratory infection will trigger an asthma flare-up.
What are the Signs You Need Help With Fall Asthma Symptoms?
If every September leaves you coughing, wheezing or relying more heavily on medication, don’t assume you simply have to wait for the season to pass.
Consider seeing a board-certified allergy and asthma specialist if:
- Your asthma symptoms are becoming more frequent or severe.
- You’re waking at night because of coughing or breathing problems.
- You’re using quick-relief medication more often.
- Your fall allergies regularly lead to asthma symptoms.
- Asthma is interfering with school, work, exercise or other activities.
- You aren’t sure what’s triggering your symptoms.
An allergist can look at both allergies and asthma to help identify what’s behind your symptoms. Allergy & Asthma Specialists providers may use allergy testing, your medical history and lung function testing as part of that evaluation.
Enjoy every season of life!
Don’t miss out on the best autumn has to offer. Allergy & Asthma Specialists’ board-certified allergists can help you determine the cause of your allergy and asthma symptoms so you can enjoy every season of life. Schedule your allergist appointment with Allergy & Asthma Specialists today.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Asthma Peak Week?
The third week of September has historically been called Asthma Peak Week because asthma attacks and emergency visits tend to rise around this time. Newer data shows that asthma-related emergency visits can continue increasing into October and the winter respiratory season.
Can ragweed make asthma worse?
Yes. If you have allergic asthma and are sensitive to ragweed, breathing in ragweed pollen can trigger asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or shortness of breath. Ragweed pollen is especially common during the late summer and fall.
Why does my child’s asthma get worse after school starts?
Returning to school can mean exposure to several asthma triggers at once, including respiratory illnesses, pollen, mold and indoor irritants. Children also tend to experience the seasonal rise in asthma-related emergency visits earlier than adults.
How do I know if fall allergies are triggering my asthma?
Pay attention to when your breathing symptoms appear. If coughing, wheezing or chest tightness regularly occur alongside seasonal allergy symptoms or after exposure to pollen or mold, allergies may be contributing. An allergist can evaluate your symptoms and use allergy and lung function testing when appropriate to help identify your triggers.
About Family Allergy & Asthma
Founded in 1979, Family Allergy & Asthma’s practice network of allergy and asthma specialists provides high-quality, reliable and lasting allergy relief throughout Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, and includes affiliates Allergy & Asthma Specialists (AAS), Asthma and Allergy Associates of Florida (AAAF) and Arkansas Allergy and Asthma Clinic (AAAC). For more information, visit familyallergy.com, and follow Family Allergy & Asthma on Facebook, Instagram and X.
