Those with seasonal allergies have likely experienced the itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing and scratchy throat, but there are some lesser-known symptoms you might also want to watch for.

According to Rachna Shah, the allergist and immunologist who heads Loyola Medicine’s pollen count in Chicago, skin rashes are also a sign of seasonal allergies, but they could easily be mistaken for other things.

“Seasonal allergies can increase the risk of getting different types of skin rashes,” Shah told NBC Chicago.

There are two specific types of rashes Shah said she commonly sees with seasonal allergies.

“The first is more of an immediate type of rash,” Shah said. “So it’s on contact. So let’s say you’re doing like gardening or lawn work or playing outside, then the allergens from the grass or from the trees or things that are in the air, touches our skin, and then we have an immediate reaction where it’s almost like a mosquito bite or it can even be larger or different sizes too, where it’s red, raised, itchy.

This type of rash is usually smooth to the touch, Shah explained, and often lasts 24 hours of less.

“Most of the time we just wash up and those kind of rashes get much better,” she said. “Sometimes we put a little bit of like hydrocortisone or like take an antihistamine and these rashes go away.”

Then there’s a second type of rash, which is a different immune response to allergens.

“It’s more of what we think of as a delayed reaction. So it’s essentially you get exposure to the allergens and then the rash that occurs may not occur immediately,” she said. “Even like a few days afterwards, but it’s red, it’s more rough. And it can last a couple of days, not just immediately come and immediately go away.”

Shah compared this rash to being similar to eczema, and noted it commonly occurs on eyelids, the face and the neck, though it can also heighten pre-existing rashes for people who suffer from eczema.

And this time of year is particularly ripe for these types of rashes.

“I would say grass is notorious for this, like grass pollen,” Shah said.

Grass and tree pollen are extraordinarily high in the Chicago area currently, Shah said.

“So we’re definitely in our, what I think of as like our high spring season. And so it’s when tree pollen is really at its height and then grass pollen is almost at its height,” Shah said. “Probably in one or two more weeks, [grass will] be at its height as well, but both are at high levels.”

According to the latest pollen count Monday, both trees and grass were high, while weed, ragweed and mold were “absent.”

“Today, the tree pollen was so bad that – typically it takes me anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes to do the count – it took me over an hour because there’s just so many pollen grains that are teeny tiny, in particular the mulberry tree,” Shah said.

Thanks to changing climate and increase CO2 in the air, Shah said research shows certain allergens are becoming more allergenic. This has led to an increase in people experiencing seasonal allergy symptoms, as well as a worsening for those who already experienced such symptoms.

“Not only is there longer seasons, longer duration of pollen, but the actual pollen becomes almost stronger in some ways,” Shah said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one quarter of adults reported suffering from seasonal allergies in a 2021 study.

And skin rashes aren’t the only unusual symptom to look for.

Another possibility is what Shah called “oral allergy syndrome.”

“It’s essentially that the pollen and the proteins that are in the fruit, if you look under a microscope, look very similar and your body can’t tell the difference. And so some people, when they eat these fruits or vegetables in the raw form, they’ll feel itching inside of their mouth or feel like sometimes you can even get tiny hives or other things like that,” Shah said. “Typically speaking, it’s not any life-threatening reaction, but definitely uncomfortable to have those kind of fruits and vegetables.”

In spring, the most common foods that can lead to oral allergy syndrome are cherries, apples, pears, carrots, celery and certain other fruits and vegetables, Shah said.

Ragweed pollen, seen more in the fall, can also cause this syndrome, but is associated with other fruits and vegetables like avocado and bananas.

Eating triggering fruits and vegetables cooked, however, often eliminates the reaction, Shah noted.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, oral allergy syndrome occurs in 50-75% of adults who reported an allergy to birch tree pollen.

“Some people report symptoms with only one food and others with many different fruits and vegetables. Some people report that only certain varieties of the fruit cause symptoms, for example specific apple varieties,” the group noted.

Treating seasonal allergies depends on the symptoms, Shah said.

In addition to over-the-counter medications that can treat more common symptoms like itchy or watery eyes and a runny nose, Shah said those experiencing skin reactions specifically can try hydrocortisone creams for a short amount of time.

“Less than two weeks on the affected areas to help control those symptoms,” she said.

Closing windows in your home, rinsing off after spending time outside and changing clothes can all also help limit your body’s reactions.