Each August, the prairie air carries an invisible burden — ragweed pollen — that turns the season's final warmth into a trial for those whose immune systems read nature as a threat. Hay fever, or seasonal allergic rhinitis, is not new, but health professionals in Saskatchewan are noting that pollen seasons are growing longer and more intense, asking more of more people each year. Dr. Ashok Chhetri of the Saskatchewan Health Authority reminds us that understanding the difference between an allergy and a virus, and knowing how to respond, can restore a measure of ease to these late-summer weeks.