BY UMAIR SHAFIQ KHANDAY
POLLEN ALLERGY
Pollen is one of the most common triggers of an allergy or hay fever. It’s carried by the wind, birds, insects or other animals. Due to its widespread reach, a pollen allergy is among the most common forms of allergies in the world. As a matter of fact, one in every five people in the world suffers from a pollen allergy.
Trees, weeds and grasses are some of the most common sources of allergenic pollen. Although pollen allergy is very unlikely to go away once developed, the symptoms can be treated by proper medication and allergy shots. Besides pollen, due to large number of stray animals, people are also at risk of being hypersensitive to dead skin cells (dander) from animals which can cause a dander allergy.
Symptoms
Symptoms occur mostly in the areas that come into direct contact with the pollen allergens:
the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes and mouth.
These symptoms may include:
Nose: runny nose with watery mucous, nasal congestion, itchy nose, sneezing
Eyes: conjunctival redness, itching, tearing
Mouth/throat: burning, itching
Ears: itchy ear canals
Lungs: dry cough (especially at night), wheezing, difficulty breathing (asthma)
Skin: worsening of atopic dermatitis, in rare cases hives, redness.
General symptoms:
1)Sneezing.
2) Running nose.
3) itching in eyes.
4)Fatigue.
5)Insomnia.
6)Headache.
7)Rhinitis.
8)loss of appetite.
The effects of pollen allergy are underestimated. Sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes are not the only symptoms that patients suffer from. During pollen season, many people cannot work to their full capacity; they sleep poorly and are exhausted. After several years, some allergy sufferers also develop what is known as the allergic march (moving from the upper respiratory tract to the lower). When this happens, hypersensitive reactions begin to occur in the bronchia, resulting in bronchial asthma.
Triggers
The allergy is caused by pollen, often from wind-pollinated plants. Pollen consists of individual pollen grains that contain the male gamete. Insect-pollinated plants produce less pollen than wind-pollinated plants, which need to release a lot of pollen in order to ensure pollination. This lightweight dust can travel hundreds of kilometres. In some people, it takes only a few pollen grains to trigger a severe allergic reaction. For example, six rye pollen grains per cubic metre of air are enough to provoke an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive.
Diagnostic procedures.
Allergists can test for allergies using a number of methods depending on the type of potential allergy. To test for an allergy to pollens, the allergist may use a skin prick test or a blood test for allergies. The questions include where the symptoms occur, at what time of day and during which seasons, how long they last and whether there are any allergic diseases in the family.
After a physical examination, skin and/or blood tests are conducted in order to confirm the presence of an allergy. The patient is then observed for swelling of the nose, sneezing or watery eyes. A pulmonary function test is conducted if the patient suffers from respiratory symptoms. For this test, the doctor measures the amount of air that the patient inhales and exhales, and the speed at which air is exhaled. Changes to the airways can be determined through the results.
Rhinitis caused by bacteria or viruses can also be mistaken for hay fever at first. However, a cold only lasts around ten days. It does not cause itching of the eyes, and the nasal mucus may become greenish yellow and viscous, whereas in hay fever it remains watery. Fever or swollen lymph nodes in the throat are also signs of a cold.
INCIDENCE
Studies conducted by Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, a noted pulmonologist from Kashmir, showed that 92% of people are allergic to house dust, 73% to lawn grass, 65% to pine tree pollen, 59.3% to Chinar tree pollen and just 18.2% to poplar tree pollen.
Therapy
The most important measure in treating an allergy is to avoid the allergen. This can only be achieved to a certain degree for hay fever, but there are a few tricks that can help. In addition, various medications are available for symptomatic relief; however, they are not a cure for the allergy. Certain non-medicinal measures may also be helpful. One option that does treat the cause of hay fever is specific immunotherapy (also called hyposensitisation or desensitisation).
Treatment
There are a few ways to treat pollen allergies:
Nasal irrigation. It rinses out your sinuses using a squeeze bottle or other device with a saline solution. Make sure you use distilled or sterile water. If you use tap water, you must boil it and let it cool off before you use it. Also, be sure you clean the bottle after every use.
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Antihistamines block the histamine your body makes. If your nose is stuffy, decongestants can help you breathe easier. Some nasal sprays help allergy symptoms, too.
Prescription medication. If the OTC drugs don’t work, your doctor may prescribe something stronger. Some prescribed meds block chemicals other than histamine that can trigger allergies. Others treat the symptoms caused by certain kinds of weed or grass pollen.
Allergy shots. If you don’t have any luck with medications, allergy shots may help. You’ll go to the allergist every few weeks for the doctor to inject a tiny amount of what’s causing your problem under your skin(intradermal). After a period of months, your body should get used to the trigger and your symptoms should get better.
Complementary medicine
Some doctors use homeopathy or acupuncture to reduce hay fever symptoms. However, there are no clear findings on the effectiveness of these therapies, since there are not enough conclusive studies available.
TIPS TO REMEMBER
Keeping a record of your symptoms
Keep a diary that describes your symptoms and when and where they occur. Your diary could include information about whether your symptoms occur:
1) Inside your home, outside or both
for a short time or longer.
2) At night, during the day or when you wake up.
3) At a particular time of the year
near animals.
4) After you have been stung or bitten by an insect.
5) After you have had a particular food or drink.
6) After you have taken a particular medication, either prescription or over the counter from a pharmacy.
Umair Shafiq Khanday is pursuing B.Sc Nursing in Pacific Institute of Medical Sciences Udaipur.
