Hay allergy causes pollen of plants. They are tiny seeds of pollen - depending on the species, from 0.0025 to 0.25 mm in diameter. They are separated by flower stamens of trees, grasses, herbs and contain so-called male genetic material. In allergic people, they cause the so-called pollinosis, known under the popular name "hay fever". From year to year, more and more people suffer from its symptoms.
What are the symptoms of hay fever?
Hay fever is a special case of acute allergic rhinitis. When plant pollen enters the respiratory tract of a sensitized person, it causes irritation followed by inflammation and swelling of the nasal mucosa. Symptoms coming from the nose, sinuses and eyes are: - a profuse leak of watery secretion from the nose combined with itchy nose and paroxysmal, very frequent sneezing. This is usually accompanied by an inability to breathe through the nose, photophobia, itching and tearing of the eyes, redness of the face, and sometimes swelling of the upper lip. These symptoms intensify in hot, windy weather.
What favors sensitization to plant pollen?
The sensitization is favored by the increased permeability of airway mucous membranes - caused for example by a viral infection or irritating environmental pollutants. Viral infections, especially air pollution, eg car exhaust, cigarette smoke, etc. - damage the ciliated epithelium, removing from the mucosa of the nose and throat contamination: microorganisms (viruses, bacteria), dust, pollen, dusty chemicals, etc. before they get to the interior of the body.
Can hay fever symptoms also be caused by other allergens?
Allergic rhinitis can cause very many substances inhaled through the respiratory tract. The most widespread, next to pollen plants, are: house dust (containing mite feces), animals 'fur particles, birds' feathers, etc. They sometimes cause hay fever, other symptoms of allergy: urticaria on the skin, asthma.
What is the mechanism that triggers an allergic reaction?
It is assumed that the specific antibodies that the immune system produces for the destruction of bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, etc., are responsible for allergic reactions. In people with allergies - the antibody marked IgE unexpectedly activates. It is usually found in the body in small amounts, but it is at least ten times as high in allergies. It is this antibody that erroneously reacts to plant pollen and other airborne allergens (mites, animal dander, etc.) that settle on the nasal mucosa, probably confusing them with food parasites.
Is a doctor's appointment necessary?
If we suspect hay fever, we should inform the doctor. Unprocessed pollen has a tendency to intensify. Sometimes it may favor the appearance of another dangerous allergic disease, which is asthma.
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TREATMENT OF ALLERGIES AND COUNTERACTING ALLERGENS
How does the allergic reaction work?
Mast cells, just below the surface of the mucous membrane, are the involuntary perpetrators of the most severe symptoms of allergic rhinitis. They produce large amounts of so-called in their interior. inflammation mediators, especially histamine. It is enough for the plant pollen to settle near them and be attacked by two IgE antibodies, on their surface, to make the cell liberate histamine abundantly. The secretion of histamine and the induced inflammation is a signal that calls the entire immune system to fight violently with an apparent enemy - for example with pollen from plants.Unfortunately, due to the mass influx of pollen, it is a hopeless fight with severe side effects. Histamine receptors present in the mucosa, stimulated by histamine, cause vasodilation and exudation of blood plasma to surrounding tissues.
Instead of cure, avoid it!
The best way would be to avoid allergens. This is partly possible due to the tight closing of windows during the pollen season, not going to the park, forest or field, especially in the morning, when dusting is the most intense. However, these actions are only partially effective, as it is impossible to completely isolate them from ubiquitous pollen. They are present virtually everywhere, even over the oceans and at poles, albeit at low concentrations.
The only effective means of protection against inhalation allergies are vaccines and antiallergics.
Among the desensitizing vaccines we distinguish: aqueous solutions of appropriately weakened allergens (injections every two days), solutions absorbed on aluminum hydroxide (injection once a week) or vaccines on tyrosine (once every 2 weeks). There are also oral and inhaled vaccines.
Not every allergen and not immediately immune.
In many situations, the patient should be given the right medicine to neutralize the annoying allergic reaction caused by inflammation mediators.
The first-line drugs - the most commonly prescribed by doctors - are antihistamines.
There are many groups of antihistamines used in various types of allergies. Particularly noteworthy are the drugs of newer generations that minimize undesirable effects such as: drowsiness and slowing down thinking and movement, which sometimes makes it difficult, or even impossible, for example to drive a car, work in occupations requiring concentration, increased attention and concentration or work at heights. For example, loratadine, in particular, is a safe drug in this respect. fexofenadine. The latter drug has, for example, been approved for use in flight controllers at airports, and therefore in people for whom the efficiency of mind is of great importance. Fexofenadine is not processed by the liver, so it does not strain this organ like some older preparations.
Antihistamines neutralize and alleviate most of the local allergic symptoms, such as:
pruritus, hay fever, allergic conjunctivitis, food and drug hives, atopic dermatitis, contact urticaria (eg due to cleaning agents or cosmetics), reactions caused by insect venom. Always, however, in the case of allergic problems should undergo a thorough medical diagnosis and follow the recommendations.
ed. Edward Ozga Michalski, MA
Consultation by prof. dr hab. med. Andrzej Danysz
Allergies sensitize pollen from flowers. From their rods in early spring, the wind carries particles of pollen, the aim of which is to reach the markings of the pistils in inflorescences. To unconscious passers-by, pollen settles on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and causes some of them to become allergic. For these people pollen plants are allergens that cause annoying pollinosis - also known as hay fever and allergic rhinitis.
In allergy sufferers, for unknown reasons, the immune system "blots" harmless flower pollen, food particles and other substances that are normally health-neutral with dangerous germs or parasites. It mobilizes immune cells to strenuous and chronic struggle with the apparent but mass influxing "aggressor" - an allergen. The result of this fight are symptoms that cause serious damage to health.
SPRING THROUGH OR ALLERGIES?
They are unconscious
A considerable number of people, even with severe symptoms of allergy, can not distinguish the symptoms caused by allergic rhinitis from ordinary colds or colds. These people often treat themselves, using drugs bought for a cold and a runny, bought without a prescription in the pharmacy, without realizing that they need to visit an allergist. Sometimes hay fever so faithfully imitates a cold that, as a result of the patient's suggestion and inaccurate medical history, the doctor prescribes anti-inflammatory drugs or even an antibiotic. Antibiotic is not only useless, but harmful as it can weaken the immune system.
What is the difference between an ordinary runny nose and hay fever?
Hay fever imitates the symptoms of cold and cold. However, there are several important differences that can distinguish between diseases.Hay fever usually occurs in spring or summer, in contrast to colds, and without its typical cause, which is subcooling, soaking, etc. Symptoms of pollinosis are usually long-lasting and do not pass after the proverbial week of rhinitis. They are accompanied not only by nasal congestion but frequent and intense sneezing attacks, so-called long salvos that are difficult to stop, which does not occur on such a scale in ordinary katarze. In addition to loss of smell, there may be dyspnea unusual to catarrh. The watery mucus is released from the nose for many days, whereas with the virus caused by the virus, the nasal secretion becomes thick and changes color after 2-3 days. In allergy itchy, bake and watery eyes, which usually does not happen in the qatar. Another characteristic of pollinosis is the lack of fever.
Some of those allergic to pollen - allergens pass the disease gently
Allergy causes light attacks of sneezing, itching in the nose and itchy eyes. These people do not even realize that they suffer from hay fever, which is one of the varieties of allergic rhinitis.
The more severe course of the disease is characterized by:
abundant, watery nose drip, seizures of sneezing, swelling and burning of the nasal mucosa. This makes it difficult to breathe, sometimes causes low-grade fever, a feeling of general discomfort and great discomfort.
The basis for accurate diagnosis is an accurate medical history
With it, you can determine whether the disease was triggered by colds and colds, or whether it is allergy to allergens. Thanks to the cross (mutually exclusive) questions asked to the patient - the doctor is able to recognize the differences between symptoms of hay fever and colds (eg mentioned lack of fever, burning and watery eyes, longer than a week's course of the disease, etc.). The doctor will pay attention to whether this is not yet another year in a row in which at a certain time and in situations associated with intensive dusting, we suffer from "cold and cold without a reason". It remains to identify the allergen that the patient is allergic to.
HOW DO YOU? MAKE SURE - WHAT ALLERGEN ME HAS?
In Poland, the most often sensitize the grass - so you need to watch messages for allergy sufferers.
Nearly 60% of people with allergies suffer from pollen allergy. So if we constantly have a runny nose for a reason during the pollination of grasses - which usually starts in May - it is highly likely that this is our suspected allergen! Often, sensitization to grass pollen is associated with allergy to pollen grains, especially to pollen grains and corn pollen.
Hypothetical pollen allergens responsible for hayfever symptoms are:
The first, in February hazel blooms, which irresistibly foretells the end of winter. Later, from February to mid-May, the inflorescences of popular deciduous trees will bloom: willows, alder poplars, birches, saturating the air with billions of invisible pollen. The apogee of pollen begins around mid-May, when the grass is blooming, and later, despite the drop in concentration, it continues to rise as pollen of ubiquitous weeds: nettles, mugwort, etc., is also worth knowing. pollen of popular weeds, blooming later. Trees are the cause of hay fever in only a dozen or so percent of patients.
Other allergens?
If, for example, it is impossible to establish a connection between sensitization and the period of pollination of a particular plant, this does not exclude allergic rhinitis. It may be caused by other numerous allergens. You can be allergic to airborne animal allergens (fur, feathers, mite droppings, etc.), wood dust and other volatile substances from plant tissues, chemicals, metal dust, building materials, exhaust fumes, etc.
How we will determine what makes us sensitive - what next?
In the end, we already know the reason for the persistent itching of the mucous membrane, the volleys of sneezes and the abundant secretion of rare mucus. The question then arises: how to stop the self-perpetuating mechanism of the allergic reaction?
