Chris Marshall asked:


Seasonal Allergies usually occur during spring, fall and summer. Winter is not a common time for Allergies because there are not as many plants in bloom during this time due to the cold weather. When plants bloom and flourish, so do seasonal Allergies but this does not mean that this allergy is caused mainly by plants. The weather can also play a big role in triggering seasonal allergies.

Seasonal Allergies Due To Pollen And Dust

Pollen is one of the main causes of seasonal Allergies as well as dust and mold spores. These are common occurrences during spring and summer as well as during fall. The pollen from plants can cause serious hay fever in some individuals who are highly sensitive to the allergens they contain. Pollen tends to become airborne when the right season comes and these cause allergic reactions in individuals.

There is actually little that you can do about being allergic to pollen, dust and mold spores. Seasonal Allergies are usually controlled and not eliminated with the use of antihistamines. Although, not all areas of the city may have pollen, mold spores or dust, chances are, whenever you go around the city, you will encounter airborne mold spores, pollen and dust separately. If you are sensitive to any of these allergens, then you are highly likely to have an allergic reaction.

What To Expect From Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal Allergies usually manifest themselves as sneezing, runny noses, itchy eyes and other allergic rhinitis symptoms. You might initially think that you have a cold but actually there is a great deal of difference between the two. Seasonal Allergies are usually not accompanied by fever whereas a cold is and a cold usually lasts for around 10 days compared to seasonal Allergies that last for as long as you are exposed to the allergens.

Seasonal Allergies also react well to antihistamines whereas colds to decongestants. Allergies that rely on seasons also occur during summer, spring and fall compared to a cold that usually occur during winter. Allergies are also dependent on the individual’s reaction to allergens while colds can be transmitted from one person to another.

As stated earlier, these kinds of Allergies react well to antihistamines. Some may need stronger medication to control but the key is to lessen your exposure to the allergens. Allergens updates are also posted by the government to help out those who are sensitive to hay fever and other allergens.

Alien asked:

The word ‘allergic’ is often used loosely and has become almost a part of our general conversation. In a way it has become synonymous with ‘dislike’. Many ailments which cannot be immediately diagnosed are incorrectly attributed to allergy. Infact, allergy is an unusual response of the body caused by substances like foods, pollens, house dust, feathers, fungus, insecticides, drugs, and chronic infection.

The common allergic diseases are allergic rhinitis and hay fever, and the common cause is pollen. Allergy is due to abnormal antibodies of the IgE type which are formed only in some -susceptible individuals. Normally the antibodies are supposed to be protective. But the abnormal antibodies are fixed on special allergic cells called mast cells and on coming into contact with an allergen such as a pollen, release chemical agents such as histamine, serotonin, and slow-reacting substances. The release of these substances produce symptoms of allergy characterized by a running nose, itching, rash, and breathing difficulty.

Treatment

The management of allergic reactions includes specific treatment aimed at removing the cause, blocking allergic reaction by immuno-therapy, and symptomatic treatment. Some examples of allergen-avoidance are stopping use of such drugs, installation of air filters in air conditioners, keeping pets out of living room and removing dust collecting furniture and carpets.

Specific Treatment

Specific treatment consists of removal of the offending agents. This is done by ‘allergen testing’. Various extracts of possible offending agents are available and these are injected into the skin to detect the causative agent. However, in most cases it is difficult to identify the causative agent, but if it is found, desensitization of the individual can be carried out by injecting its doses. It has been found that through desensitization, the abnormal antibodies, that is, the IgE antibodies, are reduced or completely abolished, and protective antibodies, that is, the IgG anibodies are developed.

Symptomatic Treatment

The aim of symptomatic treatment is to check the release or antagonize the action of released chemical mediators of allergic reactions. The most important of these chemical mediators is believed to be histamine. For this reason antihistaminics are employed in almost all cases of allergy. Sometimes decongestants are combined with antihistaminics to enhance effects. Only in extremely severe cases are corticosteroids used.

Uses of Antihistaminics

Besides their use in allergy, antihistaminics are useful for prophylaxis and treatment of motion (travel) sickness and vomiting during pregnancy or following radiation. They are beneficial in the symptomatic treatment of Parkinsonism but ineffective in bronchial asthma. They are quite often used to treat common cold. In this condition anti-cholinergic effects of these drugs afford symptomatic relief by decreasing secretions of nose and respiratory passages.

Adverse Effects: The most common adverse effects are drowsiness and sedation which interfere with daytime activity, mental alertness, and reflex actions. Other side-effects include giddiness, ringing in the ears, weariness, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, rapid pulse, a slight fall in BP, constipation, abdominal pain, dryness of mouth, urinary hasitancy and blurring of vision. Very high doses may induce fever. These adverse effects are more common in elderly people.

Precautions

Alcohol is forbidden with these drugs as sedation of a dangerous level may occur.

Driving and operating any kind of machine should be avoided after taking these drugs as they cause drowsiness.

If taken after a meal, the intensity of side-effects can be minimized.

Drugs containing chlorcyclizine and meclizine which are also antihistaminic, should not be self used by a pregnant woman. These may cause some adverse effects on the foetus.

Ointments containing these drugs should not be used for a prolonged period; allergic reactions have been found to be more common on local application of these drugs. (At times these anti-allergic drugs, when taken orally or more commonly, when applied on the skin, may cause allergic reaction. Is this not a paradox?)

Other Drugs for Symptomatic Treatment

Ketotifen (Ketovent, Ketotif)

This drug stabilizes the cell membranes of mast cells and thus prevents the release of histamine. Besides having antihistaminic properties, it is useful in preventing an attack of asthma. It does, however, cause drowsiness, a dry mouth, dizziness, nausea and weight gain.

Cromolyn Sodium (Ifiral, Fintal)

Used as eye drops (2%) in allergic conjunctivitis, nasal spray (2%) in allergic rhinitis and metered dose inhaler (1 to 2 mg/puff) in bronchial asthma.

Nedocromil

This drug is used 2 puffs, twice a day, in place of cromolyn.

Topical steroids like flunisolide (SYNTARIS) and budesonide (BUDECORT) are nasal spray.

Non-Sedative Antihistaminics for Symptomatic Treatment

These new generation anti-allergic drugs do not reach the brain and do not produce sedation (cetirizine causes some sedation) which is common adverse effects of all the drugs available in this group. These are therefore used more widely. They do not impair psychomotor activities such as driving and do not enhance effects of alcohol or diazepam. They are useful in allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, urticaria, drug allergies and atopic eczema. They are not effective in motion sickness, vertigo and should not be used in pregnancy. These agents are less effective than older drugs in common cold.

Decongestants Used in Symptomatic Treatment

These agents reduce the swelling of mucous membranes (shrinking effect) in allergic diseases by constricting small blood vessels. Some drugs are used by mouth such as pseudoephedrine (PSEUDAFED 60 mg tab) and phenylpropanolamine. The latter is rarely used alone.

Steve Marshal Caldwell asked:

Allergy is the most common condition through which every individual suffers at least once in his lifespan. Allergy is caused by the naturally occurring substances known as allergens. When these allergens react with your body, it release the histamines to control the effect of the allergens, hence allergy is caused. Pollen, dust, and bee venom are the types of allergens. Allergy is the result of excessive activation of certain white blood cells called mast cells and basophils by a type of antibody known as IgE, resulting in an extreme inflammatory response. Another definition of allergy explains it as an abnormal reaction by an individual’s immune system against a normally harmless substance. Some common well-known allergic reactions are allergic conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, food allergies, hay fever, hives, and eczema.

Allergies are categorized in the different types on the basis of the body parts they affect and on the basis of allergens. Different types of allergies are as follows:

1. Food Allergy

Food allergy is the one of the most common type of allergy. You can not decide that who is allergic to which food item. The most common symptoms of the food allergies are runny nose, itching, urticaria, vomiting, nausea, coughing, and angioedema. When this reaction becomes severe it is called as anaphylaxis. Children suffer from the food allergic reactions the most because there immune system is not well developed and they take that food for the first time.

2. Gastrointestinal Tract Allergy

Gastrointestinal tract allergy is caused when you eat any item or inhale any item that contains allergens. The allergen enters the gastrointestinal tract and causes the irritation of the tract. Abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, and diarrhea are the symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract allergy.

3. Pet Allergies

Many individuals are allergic to pets. Allergens are found in the skin, hairs, saliva, and urine of pets. These allergens cause the eyes, nose, and skin allergies. Rashes, such as eczema and hives (urticaria) and irritation of eyes and nose are the symptoms caused by the pet allergies.

4. Tree or Grass Pollen Allergy

Maximum number of individual suffers from the allergies caused by the pollens that are released by the trees and plants during the flowering season. These allergies are generally called as the seasonal allergies. It is called as the allergic rhinitis. Sneezing and coughing are common symptoms caused by pollen allergy.

5. Dust Allergy

Dust allergy is caused when the dust particles (allergens) enters your nose, eyes, ear, and skin. Dust allergy is the one of allergies that can lead to the dangerous consequences. Swelling of nasal mucosa, impaired hearing due to entrance of allergens in eustachian tube, dead skin as the pores of the skin are filled with dust, and redness of eyes are the common symptoms of the dust allergy.

6. Smoke Allergy

Air pollution is growing day by day because of the smoke released from the different places. Some individuals are allergic to smoke released from vehicles, some are allergic to smoke released from factories, and some individuals to the smoke from cigarettes. These allergic show the symptoms like coughing, bronchoconstriction, wheezing and dyspnea, sometimes outright attacks of asthma.

7. Insects Stings and Bites Allergies

Allergies are caused when the insects stings or bites. Throat swelling, hives over the entire body, difficulty breathing, nausea, diarrhea, and shock are some of the symptoms caused by insect bites. Rashes on the skin are also noticed on the part where the insect bites.

8. Latex Allergy

This is the allergy seen among the individuals who are allergic to the rubber latex. Latex allergy may cause allergic reactions ranging from sneezing or a runny nose to anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening condition. Doctor should be consulted immediately in case of severe allergic reactions.

9. Clothes Allergy

Yes, it is true that some people are allergic to clothes. Laundry detergents can cause people to break out in an itchy rash; some individuals are particularly allergic to cotton or nylon and they get red rashes on their body when they wear those clothes. Even eczema is noted in some cases.

10. Hay fever

A very common allergy caused by the pollens or anthers released by the trees or plants during the flowering season and by the release of leaves during the shedding season. Sneezing, itchy nose and/or throat, nasal congestion, and coughing are common symptoms of hay fever. You can also notice fever in the individual suffering from the hay fever.

11. Medicines Allergy

Some cosmetics or some medicines cause allergic reactions on the people either externally or internally. Antibiotics are the most common medications that cause the allergies. If you suspect a medicine allergy, talk to your doctor first before assuming a reaction is a sign of allergy. Note: Please take the medications only and only after taking the permission from the doctor.

12. Chemical Allergy

Dyes, household cleaners, and pesticides used on lawns or plants can also cause allergic reactions in some people. Sometimes even the harmful chemicals are released in the water bodies by some chemical factories and thus cause the allergic reactions when we drink that water or wash the face with that water. Please note that this is the most severe case of allergy.

Charlene J. Nuble asked:


Allergic rhinitis is often also called nasal allergy, pollinosis or hay fever, especially when it occurs during the haying season.

Allergic rhinitis is the occurrence of several symptoms, usually in the eyes and in the nose, after exposure to particles that may be airborne like plant pollens, dander and most especially, dust.

An oversensitive immune system is usually cited for the occurrence of allergic rhinitis. Take note that the immune system is your shield against harmful and ailment-causing viruses and bacteria. In some people, immune systems react violently to substances or allergens that are not generally harmful or disease-causing.

The most common and primary cause of allergic rhinitis is allergy to pollen. Pollens are very fine and powder-like substances produced by seed plants’ anthers. Allergic rhinitis can be similar to allergic reactions exhibited in some people by allergies to animal dander, inhaled allergens, mold and dust.

Some of the plants that usually produce pollens that cause reported cases of allergic rhinitis are deciduous and evergreen trees, flowering plants, ragweed and grasses.

Identifying allergic rhinitis

The most common manifestations or symptoms of allergic rhinitis are:

o Nasal congestion or what you call stuffy nose

o Wheezing

o Sore throat

o Sneezing

o Teary eyes

o Runny nose

o Smell impairment

o Headache

o Coughing

o Itching in the mouth, throat, nose, eyes, skin or any other areas in the body

How to treat allergic rhinitis

Remember, most allergies are treatable but not curable. Allergic rhinitis is not an exception.

Treatments or medications available or prescribed for allergic rhinitis only reduce symptoms of allergy caused by inflammation in the infected or affected tissues.

Doctors advise that the best treatment would be prevention, but if you happen to already have it, several medications may be of help.

Antihistamines are usually over-the-counter or do not require prescriptions when you buy them in drugstores. Such medicines, however, are only recommended to relieve mild symptoms or moderate symptoms. Take note that antihistamines may cause drowsiness and should not be taken when driving.

There are antihistamines that are specifically described longer-acting. Included in this category are cetirizine and fexofenadine. These types of antihistamines will unlikely cause drowsiness.

Nasal sprays are the most common form of medications taken for allergic rhinitis. They are safe and effective especially for patients whose symptoms are not reduced by antihistamines.

Decongestants are not exclusive for cough. They can also be used to treat allergic rhinitis.

In taking medications, it is important to first seek a doctor’s recommendation and prescription even if some medicines are non-prescription to ensure health and safety. Proper administration and timing is also important. No one wants to get an overdose right?

Preventing allergic rhinitis

Prevention is better than treatment, as always. To prevent the onset of allergic rhinitis, people with history should try to remain indoors or inside air-conditioned rooms especially during the pollination or hay season.

Remember that most pollinating trees produce and air-spread pollens during spring.

In the case of flowers and grasses, they pollinate during summer and ragweeds produce pollen in early autumn.

Bear in mind these trivial but interesting facts so you would know how to prevent getting another allergic rhinitis episode. It could not be that deadly, but it would really feel uncomfortable. One more thing, who says complications do not kill?

Tom alter asked:


Some people who inherit an allergy sensitive background develop certain allergies from time to time. These allergies may be due to many environmental factors and sometimes symptoms of asthma are also impersonated by them. Some common forms of these allergic reactions may be seasonal while others may be perennial in nature.

It is important to understand the differences between these and asthma so that they are never confused with asthma because their treatments as well the severity both differ from each other. Seasonal sneezing is called seasonal allergic rhinitis or hay fever in the common parlance. As against the name it is not caused because of hay but because of certain pollutants mainly certain kinds of pollen in the environment to which a person may be allergic.

In contrast to these people some others suffer with sneezing bouts, stuffy or running nose almost all the year round. These people suffer from perennial sneezing or perennial allergic rhinitis. When these people are exposed to cold wind, sunlight, dust and fumes the symptoms of the sneezing bouts precipitate.

In hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis the symptoms appear gradually or all of a sudden. This depends upon the degree of exposure to the offending allergen and also upon the degree to which the person may be allergic to them. When the symptoms appear gradually they are accompanied with mild sensation of itching and burning of the eyes and mild irritation in the nose or itching of the palate inside the mouth.

The symptoms usually appear in the early morning hours when the concentration of pollen grains is at its peak. The sneezing bouts are also accompanied with marked increase in the nasal congestion, throat congestion, running of the nose profusely and watery eyes. The nasal mucous membrane becomes highly sensitive with advancement of symptoms and any slight change in the nasal mucous membrane manifests in heavy bouts of sneezing.

These changes may be of very slight nature like appearance of a draft, strong odours, or even minute quantities of dust. In addition to these symptoms there may be appearance of other associated symptoms like general lethargy, loss of appetite, drowsiness and also pain in the body with slight rise in temperature.

In some patients in addition to the above mentioned conditions the symptoms of bronchial asthma also develop side by side making the conditions worse. These symptoms either develop right from the start of the other symptoms or may develop later as the disease advances. The worse part is that once a person starts with these symptoms he may continue with the symptoms of asthma even after the sneezing attacks stop.

This condition can be very easily diagnosed with the study of the case history of the patient. The tests usually undertaken to identify the pollens are skin tests with extracts of the pollen and scratch or intracutaneous tests giving positive reactions to the pollens simultaneously with a confirmation of the same through consultation of the pollen calendar.

Once the offending pollen is identified the effect of it can be controlled efficiently by hypo sensitization tests. Treatment with antihistamine tablets generally proves to be every effective. But it is only a temporary resort. The allergen has to be properly identified and then treated accordingly with preventive measures and drug therapy if need be.

Taking preventive action to overcome seasonal sneezing attacks is very important. For this undue exposure in a particular season should be completely avoided. Outdoor activities like tending to the garden or farming should not be done. The windows of the rooms should be kept closed as far as possible to avoid exposure to the allergen. In extreme cases using air conditioning may be the only way out.

The patients of perennial sneezing or perennial allergic rhinitis have sneezing, running nose, blocked or stuffy nose and nasal discharge almost all the year round. These people many – a – times are found to be snoring at night and are in the habit of breathing through the mouth. They have discomfort in the ears because of blockage in the ear tubes that open in the throat.

These are called Eustachian tubes. When the irritation persists for a long time a person tends to rub the nose vigorously and repeatedly. This leads to development of a crease across the nose called the allergic crease. Some paranasal sinuses may also get blocked leading to accumulation of secretions.

When the ear, nose and throat get infected repeatedly there may be accompanying fever. Exposure to irritants like cold wind, sunlight, dust, fumes and smoke all lead to aggravation of the symptoms. These symptoms usually occur in the early morning hours and then the symptoms may continue throughout the day and even at night. The symptoms in severe cases may resemble symptoms of asthma accompanied with bronchial spasm and suffocation.

The condition is generally diagnosed after studying the family history of allergy. The lab test of eosinophil count is a must to come to concrete conclusions. Skin test of pollen and other allergens is necessary in case the eosinophil count is normal. Treatment with antihistamines helps very limited people. Nasal drops may provide temporary relief but they should be used very sparingly as they work on the principle of cauterization, that is burning o the mucous membrane of the nose so that the nasal passage becomes insensitive. Hyposensitization works efficiently and surgery may be used in very extreme cases only.