All About Hay Fever
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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.
Pollen allergy may be the reason for your sneezing in spite of a change in seasons
About Hay Fever
In the various seasons (spring, summer, and fall) during the year, pollen grains are dispersed from trees, weeds, and grasses. These pollen grains travel on air currents to fertilize other plants. Inhaling pollen, in some people, can trigger seasonal allergic rhinitis which is also called pollen allergy or hay fever. In this condition the mucous membranes in the nasal passages inflame, which causes swelling, sneezing, itching, irritation and a runny nose.
Allergy seasons are :
May – July/August – Grass pollen: Feb – June – Tree pollen (depending on whether allergic to early or late flowering trees) August – September – Nettle/weed pollen
Hay fever symptoms can continue all the year round and may also occur from indoor allergens like house dust mites, pets and possibly indoor moulds.
Hay fever is actually an attempt by the body to rid itself of allergens but the immune system overreacts and releases chemicals which cause inflammation, causing:
Itchy, watery, red eyes Frequent sneezing Constantly dripping nose
Sufferers, when afflicted with this condition, have to struggle to breathe through their nose. Symptoms are often quite bad in young people and tails off in later years as the body adapts. Studies have shown that hay fever can severely affect the quality of life, disturb sleep patterns, impair daytime concentration and work performance.
What is pollen allergy?
Pollen once released from trees, weeds and grasses, ride on air currents with a mission to disperse and fertilize other plants. However, they rarely reach their targets. On the way they get into human noses and throats, triggering allergic reactions.
Pollen is one of the most pervasive things that can cause an allergy and cannot be avoided. Many allergy causing foods, drugs, or animals can be largely avoided but insects and household dust are inescapable. However, short of staying indoors, there is no foolproof method of evading windborne pollen. Nonetheless, ways have been established that help ease the symptoms of hay fever. Moreover, scientists are working to find better approaches to allergy treatment.
Research has helped provide a better understanding of the causes of allergy, improve the methods for diagnosing and treating allergic reactions and thereby eventually preventing them. The common signs and symptoms of pollen allergy are:
Sneezing, the most common, may be accompanied by a runny or clogged nose Itching eyes, nose, and throat Allergic shiners (dark circles under the eyes caused by restricted blood flow near the sinuses) The “allergic salute” (in a child, persistent upward rubbing of the nose that causes a crease mark on the nose) Watering eyes Conjunctivitis (is inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelids, causing red-rimmed eyes)
In a pollen-sensitive person, as soon as the allergy-causing pollen lands on the mucous membranes of the nose, a chain reaction occurs that leads the mast cells in these tissues to release histamine. This potent chemical dilates the small blood vessels in the nose; causing the fluids to escape through the expanded vessel walls, which in turn results in swelling of the nasal passages as well as nasal congestion. On the other hand, histamine also causes itching, irritation, and excess mucus production. Similarly, other chemicals like prostaglandins and leukotrienes also contribute to allergic symptoms.
Some people with pollen allergy also develop asthma, a serious respiratory condition, which can eventually become chronic. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath due to a narrowing of the bronchial passages and excess mucus production.
Infectious and Non-infectious Causes of Sinusitis – Part One
On a predisposed field for infection, like a cold or a flu causing virus, sinuses disorders are usually caused by bacterial organisms. Sinusitis is mostly an acute case and can be well treated; in other cases though symptoms can persist and lead to a chronic damage, or several acute episodes of sinusitis occur showing the signs of a recurrent sinusitis.
A susceptible field for sinusitis is caused by the inflammation and congestion of the nasal passages in viral conditions called rhinitis. If the sinus cavities are obstructed, bacteria find a proper environment to develop and lead to infection. Because most cases of sinusitis are preceded by rhinitis, physicians tend to diagnose such conditions as rhino sinusitis.
Sinusitis usually affects the maxillary sinuses behind the cheek bones, the ethmoid sinuses between the eyes, the frontal sinuses and the sphenoid cavities behind the eyes.
All persons with a cold have inflamed sinuses but rarely does one develop sinusitis in consequence.
Some conditions however can lead to the development of chronic or recurrent sinusitis that might develop into a life-long condition:
1. An acute sinusitis untreated in time that has caused a permanent damage to the membrane layer.
2. A few chronic medical conditions causing inflammation in the upper airways and thick and stagnant mucus. Such diseases are diabetes, AIDS, hypothyroidism, Kartagener’s syndrome, cystic fibrosis.
In chronic sinusitis bacteria can play a direct, indirect or no role at all. According to a study on non-responsive to treatment patients, 30% of them had no infectious bodies in the nasal passages and 20% had other bacteria without signification for sinusitis.
Sinusitis is in many cases an allergic condition, caused by different inflammatory diseases such as asthma or allergies. The inflammatory response is triggered by injuries in acute sinusitis. In many cases sinusitis assembles to allergic rhinitis, showing they both have alike causes.
Although no specific connections have been established, sinusitis, allergies and asthma often present assembling symptoms. Allergic rhinitis often shows signs of sinusitis, but it can also cause true sinus infection by blocking the mucus inside the cavities.
Allergic asthma and chronic sinusitis can sometimes overlap; 53-75% of children suffering from allergic asthma show signs of sinus damage and 17-30% really develop sinusitis. Sometimes chronic sinusitis can itself cause the apparition of an allergic asthma.
Some genetic, congenital or gained nasal passage abnormalities can cause blockage in the sinus cavities and lead to sinus infections:
1. Small benign growths inside the nasal passage, called Polyps. These hinder the drainage of the mucus and restrict the incoming air. Polyps can be caused by the enlargement of nasal membranes due to a sinus infection.
2. Enlarged lymphatic tissue masses on the posterior wall of the pharynx, called adenoids. Their role is to annihilate foreign bodies in the inhaled air.
3. Tumors
4. Cleft palate
5. Septum deviation with the central section of the nose deviated most common to the left.
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Hay fever or allergic rhinitis – a perennial problem
About Hay fever and allergic rhinitis
Hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis, generally results from airborne substances such as pollen that tend to easily enter the human body through the nose, sinus, throat and eyes, into the upper respiratory system where it forces the body to produce antibodies. These antibodies release histamine, the main culprit, which irritates the nasal passages, producing typical hay fever symptoms.
The name ‘hay fever’ is highly misleading, because symptoms occur all year round and not particularly in the autumn months when hay is gathered; moreover, it never includes fever. Most common of all allergic diseases, almost 15% of the world population suffers from this condition. Symptoms mostly appear in childhood first and then lessen as they age but this may not always be the case. It occurs all year round and may be caused by things such as house dust mites and pets. However, the predominant allergens keep changing from time to time.
Causes and symptoms of hay fever
Any substance can cause an allergy but hay fever is primarily caused by proteins. Commonly, hay fever is the direct result of an allergic person coming in repeated contact with plant protein. Flowering plants rarely cause allergies, however, the common trees, grasses, and weeds produce extremely small, light, dry protein particles which are called pollen. Spread by wind, these pollen particles are the male *** cells of the plant that are exceptionally minute in nature.
Although, usually invisible when airborne, pollen is a potent allergy stimulator. It has a tendency to lodge itself in the nasal lining tissues (also called the mucus membranes) as well as in other parts of the respiratory tract where it instigates allergic responses that can sometimes be serious. Since, a tendency to suffer allergies is often hereditary; an individual’s genetic makeup programmes him to be allergic, mostly from birth. The most common causes of hay fever are:
Tree pollen such as elder, elm, hazel and birch(spring) Grass pollen (summer) Mugwort and hybrids such as chrysanthemum (autumn) House dust mites and mould fungus
Symptoms of hay fever generally include:
Nasal congestion Clear runny nose Sneezing Itching of the nose and eyes Excessive tear production Postnasal drip that may result in cough Loss of the sense of smell Occasional loss of sense of taste Nose bleeds in severe conditions Allergic conjunctivitis (inflammation of the white portion of the eyes)
These allergic symptoms may sometimes become severe to an extent where they start to interfere with a person’s quality of life as well as overall health.
Hay fever bands
Hay fever bands are eco-friendly and are particularly liked by people who are health conscious and prefer to stay away from prescription medications as far as possible. This is a 100% safe and a viable alternative method that helps treat the condition without consuming drugs or chemicals.
A hay fever band uses the popular acupressure technique, embracing traditional Chinese healing methods to provide complete natural relief from the symptoms of hay fever. This band can be conveniently used by both adults and children over 3 years of age. Since, it is completely natural, the hay fever band does not cause drowsiness or have any kind of side-effects. Hay fever bands are completely drug free.
Pollen allergy
Plants produce pollen in order to reproduce. Plain-looking plants produce pollen that is generally responsible for causing allergic reactions. Unfortunately, too much pollen in the air can cause problems if you are sensitive to it.
Pollen allergy is most commonly caused by germinating plants like juniper and birch trees, as well as flowers, grass, grains, and common weeds like ragweed. If you shake a plant in germination, the cloud of powder that appears is the pollen that is capable of causing allergies.
Symptoms and Causes of Sinusitis – Part Two
Bacteria such as Haemophyllus Influenza or Streptococcus Pneumonia are usual inhabitants of our upper respiratory tract causing no damages to the body. When the organism is affected by another viral infection, is weaken or the sinuses are obstructed, they lead to an acute sinus infection. Fungal organisms like Aspergillus and Curvularia cause an allergic sinusitis to persons with suppressed immune systems.
Patients with nasal polyps or asthma can easily develop sinusitis during medication with non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs like aspirin or Ibuprofen.
Chronic sinusitis, as well as acute sinusitis can be especially caused by the allergic rhinitis, a nasal inflammatory disease. The condition known as vasomotor rhinitis is triggered by cold air, humidity, perfumes and alcohol also induces sinus infections.
Most common cause of chronic sinusitis is allergic factors in the air producing sinus inflammation; such allergens are dust, pollen, mold and they set off allergic rhinitis, the primer stage to a chronic sinus condition. Pollution and damp weather are also important triggers for chronic sinusitis. Allergic fungal sinusitis is given by the body’s reaction to outer fungus by releasing chemical compounds which produce inflammation and cause sinusitis.
Inhaled allergens make the bodies immune and defense cells to release histamine and other allergic factors on the sinus mucosa, leading to its swelling and to blocking the mucus drainage.
Nasal polyps and septum deviation are congenital or gained anatomical abnormalities and can cause sinus infections as well by keeping the mucus inside the nasal passages. The deviated septum means the inclination of the central nose bone between the nasal passages on one side, often the left side.
People usually treat all symptoms like the ones from a cold and ignore the possibility of sinusitis. The acute sinusitis lasts longer than a cold and doesn’t get better without treatment. Doctors set the diagnosis after a complete medical history, physical exam and radiological methods. The main concern of the treatment is to reduce pain, cure the inflammation and infection and resume the nasal drainage.
Sinusitis caused by bacterial organisms can be easier cured with a combination of antibiotics and nasal decongestant sprays. This kind of medication can cause side-effects like swelling and congestion.
The worst type of sinus damage is the combination between allergic condition and sinus infection; both cause congestion, discomfort, inflammation and excessive mucus secretion. Nasal sprays with steroidal components can be used for a longer time and usually have no side effects, except maybe irritation of the mucosa of the nasal passages.
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