Allergy season doesn't end when the pollen drops off. In Vancouver and Olympia, winter is when a lot of people feel worse — not better. The rain keeps everyone inside, the heat comes on, the windows stay shut, and the triggers move indoors with you.
If you've spent the last few winters sneezing, congested, or coughing through the cold months and chalking it up to "just a cold that won't quit," it may be worth finding out what's actually going on.
Call (360) 896-2222 to request an appointment, or fill out the form on our Contact page and we'll get back to you within one business day.
Why Allergies Can Feel Worse in Winter
In the PNW, winter means more time indoors, and indoor air holds the triggers. Heating systems stir up dust, damp weather feeds mold, and closed-up houses trap pet dander and dust mites in the rooms where you sleep and work. The symptoms can look a lot like a cold, which is why winter allergies often go unrecognized for years.
The Most Common Winter Allergy Triggers in the PNW
Dust mites. They live in bedding, upholstered furniture, and carpet, and they thrive in warm, humid indoor air. Dust mite allergy often shows up as a stuffy nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes that are worst in the morning.
Mold. Our wet winters are ideal for mold, in bathrooms, basements, around windows, and anywhere dampness lingers. Mold allergy can mean congestion, coughing, and irritated eyes and throat.
Pet dander. Pets spend more time inside in winter, and so does their dander. If your symptoms flare when you're home and ease when you're out, pet dander is one of the things worth checking.
Indoor air and smoke. Wood stoves, fireplaces, and candles add particles to indoor air, which can irritate already-sensitive airways — especially if asthma is part of the picture.
Is It Allergies, or Just a Cold?
A cold usually runs its course in a week or two. Allergies tend to linger, weeks of congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes, or a cough that comes back every winter, often with a clear pattern (worse at home, worse in the morning, worse on damp days). The only way to know for sure is testing. At Allergy and Asthma Centers of NW, Dr. Olga Tsytsyna, DNP, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner specializing in allergy and asthma, offers environmental allergy testing on-site, test first, explain the results in plain language, then build a plan around what's actually triggering your symptoms.
What Testing Can Tell You
Testing can show whether dust mites, mold, pet dander, or something else is behind your symptoms, and how strong the reaction is. That matters because the plan depends on the trigger: what to change at home, whether immunotherapy (allergy desensitization) is an option, and whether asthma testing makes sense if coughing or wheezing is part of it. The clinic also offers asthma and pulmonary function testing, immunotherapy, Xolair for chronic hives, and eczema and skin care. See the full list on our Services page.
Simple Steps That Can Help at Home
These don't replace testing or treatment, but they can make a winter easier while you figure out the cause:
Wash bedding in hot water regularly, and keep the bedroom as dust-free as you can.
Fix leaks and wipe down damp spots promptly, so mold doesn't get a foothold.
Ventilate when you can — even a short airing-out helps in a closed-up house.
Keep pets out of the bedroom if pet dander is a suspect, and vacuum with a HEPA filter if you have one.
If the symptoms keep coming back every winter, that's the sign to get tested rather than keep guessing.
Allergy Care in Vancouver & Olympia, WA
Allergy and Asthma Centers of NW serves Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, and La Center, and Portland-area patients just across the river, from 8506 E Mill Plain Blvd, Suite A, Vancouver, WA 98664. Allergy and Asthma of Olympia serves Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, and the South Sound from 3425 Ensign Rd NE, Suite 320, Olympia, WA 98506. Both locations treat kids and adults, from infants to seniors.
Ready to find out what's behind your winter symptoms? Call (360) 896-2222 or request an appointment today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you have allergies in winter when there's no pollen?
Yes. Winter allergies are usually indoor allergies — dust mites, mold, and pet dander — not pollen. That's why they can feel worse in the cold months, when you're spending more time inside.
How do I know if I need allergy testing?
If your symptoms last for weeks, come back every winter, or don't respond to over-the-counter antihistamines the way you'd expect, testing can give you a clear answer instead of another round of guessing. Call (360) 896-2222 and we can talk through whether testing makes sense for you.
Do you treat children for winter allergies?
Yes. We treat patients of all ages, from infants and young children to adults and seniors — including food allergies, asthma, eczema, and chronic hives in kids.