Pollen Allergies Overview
Flowers are blossoming, or fields or trees are bursting with new foliage, and your eyes water, your nose runs, and the sneezes continue as if by magic. You wish you could appreciate the pleasant weather, but every time you go outside, you feel miserable.
You suspect an illness, but there’s a trend. Every year, when spring (or summer or autumn) arrives, you experience the same symptoms. You most likely have seasonal allergens, also known as hay fever.
Causes
Some plants, such as ragweed, grasses, and oak trees, produce pollen, a fine substance that is light enough to move through the air. This is how these organisms develop and propagate.
Pollen allergies affect over 25 million People. Some individuals are allergic to tree pollen, which is present in the spring weather. Others are allergic to green pollen, which is more common in the summer. Others are bothered by weed pollen, which is prevalent in the autumn.
The following plants produce the most pollen:
- Oak, ash, elm, birch, maple, alder, and hazel trees, as well as hickory, pecan, boxwood, and mountain cedar. Allergies are also common in evergreen juniper, cedar, cypress, and sequoia trees.
- Timothy, Kentucky blue grass, Johnson, Bermuda, redtop, orchard grass, sweet vernal, perennial rye, salt grass, velvet, and fescue are examples of grasses.
- Weeds like ragweed, sagebrush, redroot pigweed, lamb’s quarters, goosefoot, tumbleweed (Russian thistle), and English plantain
Symptoms
If you have a pollen allergy and go outside on a pollen-filled day, your body will respond as if it is being attacked. To battle back, your defence system will produce a large amount of histamine. When this occurs, you may experience signs such as:
- Throat itch
- Eyes that are red, itching, and runny
- A congested or runny nose
- Sneezing
- Coughing or wheezing
Treatment
Your doctor may first want to establish that you are allergic to something. An allergen can perform a skin-prick test to determine the source of your issue.
Once that’s narrowed down, there are a few methods to manage pollen allergies:
Irrigation of the nose. It utilises a squeeze container, neti pot, or other instrument to rinse out your sinuses with a saltwater (saline) fluid. Make certain that you use purified or clean water. If you use municipal water, it must be boiled and cooled before use. You can also use a filter that reads “NSF 53” or “NSF 58” or “absolute particle size” of 1 millimetre or less. Also, use distilled, sanitised, boiled, or filtered water to disinfect the container or neti pot after each use.
OTC (over-the-counter) medications. Antihistamines prevent your body from producing histamine. Decongestants can help you breathe better if your nostril is stuffy. Some nasal sprays can also assist with allergic problems.
Irrigation of the nose. It utilises a squeeze container, neti pot, or other instrument to rinse out your sinuses with a saltwater (saline) fluid. Make certain that you use purified or clean water. If you use municipal water, it must be boiled and cooled before use. You can also use a filter that reads “NSF 53” or “NSF 58” or “absolute particle size” of 1 millimetre or less. Also, use distilled, sanitised, boiled, or filtered water to disinfect the container or neti pot after each use.
OTC (over-the-counter) medications. Antihistamines prevent your body from producing histamine. Decongestants can help you breathe better if your nostril is stuffy. Some nasal sprays can also assist with allergic problems.
Useful Hints
- Examine the atmosphere. The pollen count for the day should be available in your local weather report: how much pollen is in the air and which vegetation are producing it. Pollen counts are greater when the weather is mild, dry, and windy, and lower when the weather is chilly, rainy, and moist. Stay inside as much as possible if you know it’s going to be a pollen-filled day. The yard chores can be put off.
- Hold allergens at bay. Instead of opening the windows in your vehicle or at home, use a HEPA-filtered air conditioner to eliminate pollen from the air. If you hang your clothes to dry, it will gather up pollen; instead, use the dryer. If you’ve been outside, change your clothes, take a shower, and cleanse your hair before going to bed. If you don’t, pollen will be transferred to your cushion and covers and inhaled all night. Allow your companion to spend time outside but not in your chamber.
Make an outside pollen barrier. Wear eyeglasses for eye protection and a cap to keep pollen out of your tresses. - Consume your medication. When pollen counts are high, take your medicine before you detect symptoms to prevent them from occurring.