All About Hay Fever
The medical term for hay fever is allergic rhinitis. It is very similar to asthma except for one important difference. If you have asthma, airborne particles cause an allergic reaction in your chest and lungs. If you have hay fever you experience this reaction in your eyes, nose, and throat.
The airborne irritant is called an allergen. When you are exposed to the allergen your body releases a chemical called histamine. This results in an inflammation in your sinuses, the fragile lining of your nasal passages, your eyelids and the surface layer of your eyes. Common allergens that trigger hay fever are dust mites, pollen, animal skin and hair, and feathers.
There are two types of hay fever, seasonal and perennial. If pollen is the only allergen that triggers your hay fever, you have seasonal allergic rhinitis, as pollen is not present in the air all year long. Your symptoms will only appear when you are in an area where plants produce pollen at the time of year when this happens. However if your hay fever is triggered by dust mites, animal hair or feathers, it would be perennial as these airborne particles are present year round. It is also possible to have both perennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis if more than one allergen triggers your symptoms. People with allergic rhinitis will start to sneeze, develop a runny nose and red watery eyes whenever they are exposed to the allergen that triggers their attacks. The eyes also itch and rubbing them makes it worse. Sometimes the skin itches and the throat becomes dry. Wheezing also occurs. An allergy attack will be most severe for fifteen to thirty minutes. Most people are aware when they are allergic to pollen. However, they may not know what other allergens they react to. If this is a problem, physicians can perform skin tests to identify the allergens that trigger the attacks.
Once you know the substances you are allergic to, try to minimize your exposure to these irritants or avoid them altogether. There are many over the counter preparations designed to help hay fever sufferers. The most common are antihistamines. These can both prevent and stop an attack however they may need to be used for several days. Antihistamines have certain side effects such as dryness in the nose and throat and drowsiness. A person taking antihistamines should exercise caution about driving or operating machinery until they know how the medicine affects them. If over the counter medications are not effective, there are prescription medications available from a physician. Antihistamines only relieve the symptoms of hay fever. They do not cure it. However, if you have had a skin test and your doctor has identified the substance that triggers your attacks, it is possible to cure the underlying cause. The doctor can administer a series of desensitizing injections. These actually contain the allergen and are given in increasingly stronger doses to stop reactions. While they have been successful with some patients, they do not work for everyone.
Getting To Know More About The Seasonal Hay Fever
Hay fever is a form of allergy affecting people sensitive to its allergens during the summer season. Its medical term is seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis is an allergy that attacks vulnerable people during the summer and the onset of the spring seasons.
Allergies as such is caused by inhaling pollen or by entry of pollen to an eye. This will then irritate the eye’s and nose’s sensitive linings. Consequently, inflammation or swelling follows such occurrence.
Causes of hay fever
Pollens usually come from trees like oak and silver birch. Pollen from those specified trees are the most common cause of reported or recorded cases of hay fever and other related allergies that occur during the onset of spring.
Grasses that pollinate during the summer until about the onset of spring, like nettles, weeds, mugwort and dock are also attributed to several cases of hay fever.
Allergies to several kinds of fruits, nuts and some vegetables can also cause swollen and itchy mouth and throat that may eventually lead to symptoms for hay fever.
Studies and medical experts have identified several fruits, nuts and vegetables which may cause such conditions. These include peanuts, tomatoes, cherries, peaches, apples and carrots.
Though, cases of hay fevers that are pinpointed to such factors aare rather rare and limited in number and severity.
Symptoms of hay fever
A person who is affected by an allergy called hay fever will experience manifestations like frequent and unusual sneezing, watery or teary eyes and runny nose.
Other symptoms are more prevalent and indicate severity of the hay fever attack. Some of these serious forms of symptoms include itchy eyes, ears and mouth. The itchiness would surely be discomforting and will cause uneasiness making the hay fever victim feel greater tension.
People under a hay fever attack will also feel extraordinarily unwell. That general feeling of unwellness is also coupled with unusual reduction or lack of concentration. Focus will be a hard word and concept for hay fever victims.
The onset of hay fever may start to develop and reach its full scale when the person reaches or enters his or her teenage years. Hay fever allergy and attacks are also more likely to affect people aged between 20 years to 30 years.
Treatment for people with hay fever
There are a number of potent and effective treatments and medications that will sufficiently curtail or control hay fever.
Such medications include especially prescribed medical tablets and nasal sprays. Drugs in tablet forms for hay fever will usually aim to relieve or soothe itchiness occurring in the nose and throat, watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing.
Antihistamines are the most common medication for allergies. Since hay fever is a form of allergy, antihistamine will be a perfect drug against it.
Eye drops are also available over-the-counter to relieve eye discomfort while anti-inflammatory sprays will surely reduce swelling and inflammation of the infected eye or nose lining.
Preventing hay fever
The most effective measure to avoid the onset of hay fever is by avoiding contact or exposure to the irritants or allergens that cause it.
People with hay fever history should try to stay indoors and install air conditioners in their homes and rooms especially during summer and spring, when pollen are spread all throughout the outdoor air.
