Xudeedi Posted May 17, 2006 It is time of the year (Summer hay fever) A.Yaasin Abdiaziz Many people suffer with runny noses and itchy, red eyes when pollen counts are high including me. But there are plenty of steps you can take to relieve these hayfever symptoms. What are the causes? Hay fever is caused by breathing in pollen and by pollen getting in the eyes. You can get hay fever at any time from early spring to late summer, depending on what pollen or pollens you are allergic to. The pollens most likely to cause early spring problems are those from trees such as the silver birch, ash, oak and London plane. Summer hay fever is also called 'seasonal allergic rhinitis' because it only occurs during the spring and summer. Symptoms occur when an allergen causes inflammation and irritation of the delicate linings of the nose and eyes. Grasses pollinate during mid-summer from May to August. The most profusely pollinating grasses are timothy, rye, and cocksfoot, "The most profusely meadow and fescue." Occasionally, in late summer and autumn, weeds such as nettles and dock as well as mugwort and plantain can trigger hay fever. The condition tends to occur in "allergy-prone" families and usually starts in the early teenage years and symptoms peak in the 20s. What are the symptoms? The main symptoms of hay fever are: * repeated sneazing attack * runny or itchy nose * itchy or watery eyes * an itchy throat, palate and ears * loss of concentration * a general feeling of being unwell (hence hay 'fever') What is the treatment? The most useful treatments for hay fever are: * Anti-histamine tablets and nasal sprays, which help relieve a runny nose, sneezing, an itchy throat and itchy, watery eyes. * Anti-inflammatory nasal sprays and nose drops, which reduce inflammation in the delicate lining of the nose. * Anti-allergy nasal sprays and eye drops, which act on the linings of the nose and eyes to stop the allergen triggering a reaction. * Decongestant tablets and sprays can help if the nose is blocked and stuffy. Some of these medicines are available over the counter at a pharmacy while others are only available on prescription. You may need to try different treatments or find a combination of treatments that works best for you. If symptoms remain severe despite medication, you might benefit from desensitisation immunotherapy to grass pollen. You will be given injections of minute amounts of pollen over a three-year period to induce immune tolerance and cure the allergy. Unfortunately this treatment is not widely available in Britain yet, but the results of recent clinical trials have been very encouraging. First aid If you have hay fever, here are some steps you can take to avoid exposing yourself to pollen: * Keep an eye on the pollen count and stay inside as much as possible if the count is high. (In the pollen season, the pollen count is often included in radio, television and newspaper weather reports.) * Wear sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes – wrap around sunglasses are best. * Saline douches or a little Vaseline applied inside the nose will reduce symptoms. * Keep car windows closed and make sure a pollen filter is fitted to the vent. * Keep bedroom doors and windows closed in mid-morning and early evening when pollen levels peak. * Avoid areas like parks or fields, particularly in the early evening when there is a lot of pollen at ground level. * Get someone else to mow the grass and don't lie on freshly cut grass. What can be done to prevent hay fever? If you have hay fever symptoms, you may be able to find out what you're allergic to by having allergy tests and then taking practical steps to avoid that particular tree or grass pollen. Oral allergy syndrome Some hay fever sufferers develop oral allergies to certain fruits, vegetables and nuts. This is also called the pollen-food allergy syndrome. Patients typically develop hay fever in early spring and then notice itching and swelling of their mouth and throat on eating fresh fruit and vegetables. Silver birch pollen allergy sufferers develop oral allergies to apples, peaches, cherries, carrots, celery, hazelnuts, peanuts and walnuts. Grass pollen allergy sufferers develop oral allergies to tomato, melon and watermelon. Mugwort pollen allergy cross-reacts with apple, celery and carrot. Ragweed pollen allergy cross-reacts with bananas, melon and honey. People do not react to cooked or canned foods and the reaction usually remains localised to the mouth and throat. In latex allergy, people sensitised to latex also develop allergies to fruit such as avocado, banana, chestnut and kiwi fruit. A.Yaasin Abdiaziz Elmi Clinical Researcher Based in London. yaasin_24@yahoo.co.uk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Abu-Salman Posted May 19, 2006 JZK bro Maakhir, now I guess why my symptoms were worsening. I even used to think that such allergy is mainly restricted to "fragile cadaan" exposed to every kind of risk factors and I were suffering from a cold or something else! Maybe someone could inform us about natural remedies as Im always reserved about medication for every natural inconvenience. At any rate,is not London high-level of pollution aggravating the risks compared to other places? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
