Runny nose, wheezing, tearing, itching, difficulty breathing are the most common symptoms of poplar flu allergy . Such hypersensitivity, which is a consequence of the antigens fighting with antibodies, affects about 15% of the world's population every spring. Symptoms of an allergy to poplar fluff are observed when the body exhibits an excessive reaction to the invasion of foreign particles - pollen and fine dust.
Poplar fluff itself is extremely rarely a pathogenic factor in various allergic reactions, as it consists of fairly large particles. In the vast majority of cases, the pollen and spores of various plants carried by it play a pathogenic role. When such small elements enter the body through the respiratory tract, they immediately attach to certain cells, thereby triggering the release of antibodies, including histamine. This causes symptoms of poplar fluff allergy such as irritation of the mucous membrane, shortness of breath, signs of conjunctivitis, headache, urticaria, general malaise, and many others.
The most common type of allergic reaction in this case is the one in which the production of specific antibodies (lgE) is started. Once formed in the body, these antibodies continue to circulate in the blood until they join the special membrane proteins of mast cells of the skin, eyes, nasal apparatus and lungs. Such cells are coated with granules containing potent biologically active compounds. The next time, when foreign particles again enter the body, they cause a degranulation reaction, which implies the release of the substances contained therein. That is why an allergy to fluff is periodic, cyclical in nature.
In addition, some substances, such as histamine, secreted by cells in response to exposure to foreign agents, cause many more serious consequences. The accumulation of fluid in the tissues, smooth muscle spasms, cardiac arrhythmias are also symptoms of poplar flu allergy. But such hypersensitivity is not a frequent phenomenon, and it depends primarily on the individual physiological characteristics of the organism and the person’s genetic predisposition.
Inhalation allergy, the prevention of which is the most important and most effective method of dealing with it, is the most common among all types of such reactions. It is impossible to completely get rid of it. An allergy to fine particles of poplar fluff can persist throughout life, and its symptoms - become more pronounced and acute. The only encouraging thing is that in fairly rare cases, immunity over time becomes less sensitive to the effects of foreign agents.
Thus, although there are many methods of therapy and a lot of drugs for the treatment of allergic manifestations, they can not give a stable, reliable and long-term clinical effect. Therefore, the most real way to combat such an ailment is to prevent it. The most effective method in this case is to avoid direct contact with the allergen. However, with this type of inhalation allergy, this is not always possible.
But certain measures are nevertheless necessary. Firstly, you should do wet cleaning at home as often as possible. Secondly, it is advisable to rarely open windows in the room where you are. You can also hang gauze moistened with water or a fine-mesh mosquito net on the windows. And most importantly, always carry a nasal spray with a low dose of corticosteroid.
As for directly therapeutic methods, they are usually aimed at alleviating various symptoms and preventing possible further reactions. Today there is an extremely wide range of antihistamines that block the production of this substance. Steroid drugs inhibit the development of immune reactions, which determines their indispensability in the prevention and reduction of the severity of manifestations of allergic asthma. In addition, corticosteroid transdermal ointments are very effective for the treatment of skin reactions.
At the first symptoms of anaphylactic shock, the patient should be given adrenaline. In addition, in the process of desensitizing therapy, the patient is given an allergen in small doses for a certain period of time. Although at present such a clinical method is rarely used and only in exceptional cases due to the long duration of the process and possible serious complications, including anaphylaxis, which poses an immediate threat to life. In any case, self-medication should not be done. Only a qualified allergist can prescribe the correct and effective course of treatment.