Pollen allergy - also a summer problem: How to protect yourself?

Pollen allergy - also a summer problem: How to protect yourself

Although pollen allergies are talked about more in the beginning of spring, unfortunately the season of its activity continues until September, with allergies from meadow grasses and weeds becoming especially important in summer. Signe Puriņa, an expert engaged in allergic diseases research and treatment center Signe Puriņa and pharmacist Kristīne Bohane, advises on how to recognize allergies, not to confuse them with colds and protect yourself.

What exactly is an allergy?

An allergist explains that an allergy is a disorder of the immune system that results from the body reacting excessively to a common substance in the environment, such as pollen, animal hair or food. Why one develops an allergy to pollen, another to food, and a third to a dust mite, scientists have not yet found the answer. Unfortunately, allergies can appear for the first time at any age - adults and seniors are not protected either. Therefore, you should watch yourself and see if you have any symptoms before.

In spring, people usually complain of pollen allergy or polinosis. As climatic conditions vary from season to season, pollen concentrations are at different levels each year, so one year a person may feel good and another may feel bad. Usually, the first signs of an allergy appear when it seems that there is no pollen in the air yet. This year, their season started in the first days of March and will last until Midsummer. It is felt by those who are allergic not only to alder, hazel, but also birch. In turn, after Midsummer, the flowering of meadow grass continues and the manifestations of allergies will be felt by those who are sensitive to meadow grass, but from July - to weeds: wormwood, viburnum, pigeons.

Different manifestations of allergies

Pollen allergies can manifest in different ways and in different intensities. Classic symptoms of polinosis or pollen allergy are watery eyes, runny nose, itchy throat, sneezing. For some people, this is not so classic, but year after year in the spring inflamed sinuses, otitis media begins.

Allergy can also be indicated by a simple stuffy nose, as well as allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic urticaria and, in the worst case, allergic asthma. Polinosis can manifest as hives, especially on exposed parts of the body. This is especially important for those who also have occupational factors - if a person is allergic to meadow grass and he drives a combine and mows the field, plant juice or dust gets on the skin and can even have very severe skin reactions.

There are also many manifestations of bronchial asthma: it can be non-allergic, allergic, caused by viral or hormonal fluctuations. If a person is allergic to pollen, he may have an exacerbation of the disease during flowering. For those who have asthma and pollen allergies, it is most dangerous to do sports intensively in the fresh air, which can lead to a dangerous situation. Although not all, many signs of the first asthma include night cough, early morning cough, when you have to wake up and cough at four to five in the morning, and wheezing, shortness of breath, or coughing during exercise.

If a person comes to work and sneezes, it could be an allergy to a dust mite, not pollen. Waking up in the morning is bad, during the day good, in the evening a little bad, in the morning - very bad. However, in the spring, dust mite allergies usually decrease as the indoor microclimate improves, windows and doors open, central heating is turned off, and tick concentrations decrease.

Allergy or virus?

Sometimes allergies can be confused with viral colds, and it is not so easy for a doctor to tell. Slightly elevated body temperatures, which are common in colds, can also occur in the case of polinosis. The use of antihistamines may help to understand whether or not you are allergic. If they help and get better, most likely it's an allergy. Anti-allergy drugs also slightly reduce the manifestations of colds, they are part of anti-cold drugs. As nasal discharge and itching with medication may also be reduced in the case of viruses. However, the main indicator of allergies is that they get worse in dry and windy, sunny weather, and these symptoms recur from year to year. Allergies can be detected very accurately by performing an allergy test. Blood tests are not very accurate, the most accurate is a skin puncture test performed by an allergist in his office. This test is not performed during an allergy exacerbation period, but when the "fire" is extinguished.

How to protect yourself?

Although the use of vitamins in allergies is recommended here and there, people with allergies should be wary of drugs that stimulate the immune system - nothing should be used on their head. The exception is vitamin D - it is very important in case of allergies and reduces the manifestations of the disease on both the skin and mucous membranes. Therefore, vitamin D levels should be monitored regularly and, if reduced, vitamin D should be taken in the form of drops or capsules, with dosage and administration agreed with your doctor.

Polinosis is an urban disease that results from the interaction of the environment and people. On the one hand, there is quite a lot of dirt around, on the other hand, the indoor environment is too sterile.

Lifestyle tips

• It is quite difficult to distance yourself from pollen, but the windows can be covered with an insect net, which protects not only from insects but also pollen.

• The car is equipped with a dust filter.

• Put on big glasses when going outside.

• When you get home, take off your clothes and rinse in the shower to reduce pollen contact. Especially if there has been physical activity in the fresh air.

• Do not tumble dry the laundry as it will soak up the pollen.