Quite a few people in the modern world have never encountered an allergy. It can manifest itself in a variety of forms - from completely harmless and simply unpleasant to deadly. Irritants can also be completely different, individual for each. But allergic hay fever stands apart - every spring a huge number of people suffer from it. What is it?
Hay fever is ...
Many people enjoy spring after a cold long winter. It is getting warmer, the sun shines brighter and more often, and plants begin to bloom. And the latter becomes a real horror for someone who is diagnosed with hay fever. At its core, the disease is a type of allergy, and the pollen of plants, which is constantly present in the air with the advent of spring, acts as an irritant. This ailment has many names: hay fever, hay fever, seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, etc. But the essence is the same - it is almost impossible to hide from the stimulus.
The mechanism of allergies is quite curious and is based on the malfunctioning of the immune system. When particles of some generally innocent irritant get into the body, she mistakenly takes them for malicious microorganisms and attacks. There is no single view of physicians on why this happens. There are theories that the modern world with a cult of cleanliness and hygiene does not so often challenge the human immune system, so it trains in this way to stay alert in case of real danger. Another assumption is based on the fact that much more information about creating antibodies in response to various types of dangers is encrypted in the DNA of people with congenital allergies - thus, they are potentially much more adapted to changing conditions.
Perhaps those who give a pathological reaction to the simplest substances are the creatures of the future. Be that as it may, hay fever is a disease that affects more and more people.
Irritants
Pollen is a tool with which plants reproduce. Pollinating insects can carry it, but quite often this happens due to the movement of air and wind. Thus, light particles are in the air and can enter the human body.
When pollen settles on the skin and mucous membranes of a person with a pathological reaction, the body turns on the immune system - and hay fever begins: the eyes, nose, mouth and integument react. But since it is not able to completely destroy the stimulus, the state does not improve until the particles disappear from the air. In total, about 60 plant species are to blame for the development of hay fever, scientists say.
Season
Exacerbation of hay fever occurs, usually in the spring. It occurs at about the same time each year, depending on which particular plants bloom the body of each individual allergic person. However, hay fever can also be polyvalent, that is, a person can respond to several types of pollen at once. In the most severe cases, the allergy season can last for a person all the warm time of the year, but usually it still does not exceed 4-5 weeks. And although the well-being during this period leaves much to be desired, quite often the condition can be alleviated.
Prevalence
Gradually, allergic hay fever becomes a real scourge of our time. The number of patients in the world doubles every 10 years. Literally everyone is subject to this ailment, and only slightly less often - children under 6 years old. Moreover, given the fact that patients rarely go to the doctors where they are diagnosed, WHO believes that the prevalence of this disease is seriously underestimated. At the same time, sensitization does not pass with time, and is also difficult to treat.
By the way, urban residents are allergic to pollen (pollinosis) much more often, although it would seem that in rural areas there is much more greenery and plants in general. This is pretty easy to explain. The fact is that exhaust gases and other substances damage pollen particles, and allergens come to the surface.
Symptoms and manifestations
Hay fever is usually a fairly harmless disease, albeit an extremely unpleasant one. At first, it can be confused with the common cold, which happens in the spring. Slightly elevated temperature, redness of the mucous membranes, lacrimation, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, sometimes itching and redness of the skin. Quite rarely, something more serious than the above symptoms occurs. On the street during this period, the allergic person becomes heavier, and indoors - easier, even to the extent that the manifestations of the disease can almost disappear. All this gives reason to believe that a person does not have ARI, but hay fever.
More and more people are showing signs of pollen allergy , so even if there were no problems in the spring before, you should not automatically exclude yourself from the number of those who suffer from this ailment - it can develop even in adulthood. And even seemingly frivolous symptoms should not be neglected. Up to 20% of cases of diagnosed hay fever are accompanied by difficulties with breathing and a feeling of stuffiness in the chest.
Varieties
In addition to the already mentioned polyvalent, there is also cross hay fever. This means that with sensitization to certain types of pollen, an allergic reaction to plant foods, such as nuts and even root crops, can also be observed.
In addition to the fact that an allergic person with this kind of disease has much more prohibited foods, the reaction to them can be more acute. So, the probability of anaphylactic shock in the case of cross hay fever is higher than usual.
Diagnostics
Quite rarely, those suffering from hay fever go to the doctor, to the last, believing that they are tormented by a protracted cold. But sometimes the regularity still makes one think, and you have to make an appointment at the clinic.
Usually, the relationship between flowering plants and the manifestation of symptoms is quite obvious, it remains only to establish what specifically causes the reaction. In this case, a medical history helps a lot, later conclusions can be confirmed using a special test. In order to conduct it, a small amount of allergen is applied to the patient’s skin, and after a while the consequences are evaluated.
In addition, laboratory diagnostics can help: a check is carried out for the presence of immunoglobulins E in the patient's blood , which appear when a reaction occurs. So, what to do if an allergy (hay fever) is detected?
Treatment
The possibilities of official medicine in the fight against hay fever are not too extensive. As a rule, doctors advise combating hay fever with the help of drugs of two groups: antihistamines and vasoconstrictor drops. In some cases, glucocorticosteroids are also used, which have an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce the likelihood of dangerous edema. But all this only eases the condition during the period of exacerbation, but does not cure the disease itself. The most promising area in traditional medicine is immunotherapy, in which the patient is given an allergen in small doses at certain intervals. The body gradually "gets used" to it and ceases to produce a pathological reaction.
There are also some treatments for homeopaths and isopaths. Naturally, in this case, you should choose a good trusted specialist, and although these methods are not too encouraged by official medicine, they can often be extremely effective when it comes to such a pathology as hay fever. Patient reviews in this case should be decisive - the homeopath is best selected using the word of mouth method. In folk medicine, drugs based on the following components have worked well: field horsetail, chamomile, calendula, nettle, mummy, celery root, a string, etc. There is no need to stop taking antihistamines.
It is worth noting that any additional treatment methods should be discussed with your allergist, and with the slightest deterioration in well-being, you should immediately stop taking herbal preparations. In addition, there are certain problems of the compatibility of substances, so even herbal medicine should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist.
Prevention
As you know, any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. This also applies to allergies. Despite the fact that it is impossible to hide from pollen, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of a pathological reaction to it. To do this, take the following measures:
- Limit contact with any confirmed allergens as much as possible. Sometimes prohibited foods are very welcome, but you should not risk it. Even if the allergy manifests itself in the form of a harmless urticaria, you can get a reaction to completely new substances that previously were not the cause of sensitization.
- Timely identify and treat any infectious diseases. Prolonged inflammatory processes may well provoke an immune response to substances that were not previously irritants.
- Carry out pre-season preparation - take medications that reduce susceptibility to pollen allergens.
Well, these are not such difficult events. Nevertheless, they can not only reduce the likelihood that an allergy will occur, but also significantly facilitate its course, if the disease already exists.
Diet
Changing the diet during the period of active flowering of plants can significantly alleviate the condition of an allergic person. Firstly, it is worth excluding semi-finished products, fast food, as well as any types of honey from your diet. Secondly, cross allergens, even if no reaction to them has been observed before, is also better not to eat, and if this is not possible, try to at least heat them: cook, stew, bake, etc. Thirdly, the period of exacerbation should refrain from the use of exotic and simply unfamiliar products. In severe cases, it is better to exclude any potential allergens from your diet. However, it is recommended to consume more fermented milk products, as well as lean meat and green apples. A specialized diet for hay fever can be either part of the treatment prescribed by a doctor, or practice independently.
Consequences of ignoring
As you know, allergies can not occur immediately, but only after the accumulation of a certain amount of irritating substances in the body. But more often, hay fever is a disease whose symptoms increase over time, if ignored and not treated, while continuing to be in contact with pollen.
There are 4 degrees of severity of the course of this disease - from mild, episodic symptoms to very serious, life-threatening conditions. In some cases, especially with adverse heredity, seasonal bronchial asthma may even develop. In this case, tablets and drops in the nose will not work, so do not ignore allergic hay fever. And if there is any suspicion of a reaction to pollen, it is better to immediately go to the doctors and not bring the matter to the droppers.