Common Ragweed Allergen Facts, Symptoms, and Treatment
Learn more about common allergic diseases, symptoms, management paradigms, and testing considerations.
Is your patient a candidate for specific IgE testing?
Get detailed information on whole allergens and allergen components.
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Learn more about common allergic diseases, symptoms, management paradigms, and testing considerations.
Is your patient a candidate for specific IgE testing?
Get detailed information on whole allergens and allergen components.
Ready to test a patient?
Access videos and webinars delivered by key experts in the field of allergy.
Featuring lacy leaves and growing to a height of roughly 1 meter (3.5 feet), common ragweed is known by a multitude of names, including Roman wormwood, hogweed, hogbrake, bitterweed, annual ragweed, blackweed, carrot weed, hayfever weed, hayweed, stammerwort, and wild tansy.1,2,3 While native to North and Central America, common ragweed is an annual herb that has been widely distributed across the world, where it's found in disturbed locales such as construction sites as well as amid cultivated land and riverbanks.3 Common ragweed plants create enormous amounts of pollen, as a single plant is capable of producing millions of small pollen grains, which often travel long distances.4 Released spring to fall, the wind-borne pollen is highly allergenic and can induce allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and dermatitis.1,3,5 In fact, 10 percent of the United States population is ragweed sensitive according to a large skin test survey.4
Although it's native to North and Central America, common ragweed is widely distributed across the world, including Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe. It's typically found in disturbed sites including construction sites, railways, and cultivated and uncultivated cropland. Plus, it naturally occurs along riverbanks, in grasslands, and in dry meadows.3
Many patients with common ragweed allergy can experience symptoms when exposed to other allergens such as tree, weed, or grass pollens, making it difficult to determine which pollen is causing the symptoms, especially when pollen seasons are overlapping. This is called cross-reactivity and occurs when your body's immune system identifies the proteins, or components, in different substances as being structurally similar or biologically related, thus triggering a response.7 Other respiratory allergens that may cause reactions associated with common ragweed are certain grasses, trees, and weeds (e.g., birch, alder, juniper, mugwort, olive, goosefoot, etc.).7
If you experience an itchy mouth or throat after eating fresh fruit or raw vegetables, you may suffer from Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS), sometimes called Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome (PFAS). This condition is caused by your immune system's reaction to similar proteins, or components, found in different allergens. It is quite common, with up to 25 percent of children with allergic rhinitis (i.e., hay fever) also suffering from OAS.8 Common plant foods involved in OAS for common ragweed include melon, soybean, watermelon, citrus, banana, pineapple, persimmon, zucchini, tomato, hazelnut, peanut, corn, and many more.7
Knowing the proteins, or components, within each allergen that are triggering your symptoms can help guide your management plan. With that in mind, and based on your symptom history, your healthcare provider may suggest something called a specific IgE component test, which can help reveal other pollens and foods you may react to. Results from this test can also help your healthcare provider decide if allergen immunotherapy may reduce your symptoms.7
Already have your specific IgE component test results?
Your component test results will include the name of the components (a series of letters and numbers). Your healthcare provider will likely review the results with you, but here you'll find an at-a-glance breakdown you can use as a reference. Simply match the component names to the list below to see what they mean in terms of symptom management.7
nAmb a 1
rPhl p 7
rPhl p 12
MUXF3 (CCD)
Test results should be interpreted by your healthcare provider in the context of your clinical history. Final diagnosis and decision on further management is made by your healthcare provider.
*These products may not be approved for clinical use in your country. Please work with your healthcare provider to understand availability.
The management of allergic rhinitis includes avoidance of relevant allergens, symptomatic treatment, and allergen immunotherapy.8-10
Common ragweed allergy symptoms can be similar to many other pollen allergies and may include:3,6,8
If you're sensitized to common ragweed and have asthma, the weed pollen may trigger or worsen asthma symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing.6
Together with your symptom history, skin-prick testing or specific IgE blood testing can help determine if you are sensitized to a particular allergen. If you are diagnosed with an allergy, your healthcare provider will work with you to create a management plan.
*These products may not be approved for clinical use in your country. Please work with your healthcare provider to understand availability.
While common ragweed pollen is shed from spring to fall, it's released in great abundance in late summer.1,2