Allergies

Causes and Concerns
Hay fever causes the body’s immune system to over react, in the presence of external substances, as if it related to an environment of toxic elements. This results in irritation and inflammation, in the body at large. Often hay fever runs in families and it can also be related to asthma and eczema. It is quite common to find a family with some members affected with asthma, some with hay fever, and still others with eczema. Any individual might have more than one of these conditions.

Symptoms The symptoms vary from person to person and often involve sneezing, runny/blocked nose, (which I must mention is truly ridiculous) red, watery, and itchy eyes, with an associated itchy throat. Very often there is also a wheezy chest, which really suggests a degree of asthma. Unfortunately the peak pollen time is the early summer when school and university examinations take place resulting in sufferers finding it extremely difficult to revise and to perform well in the actual examinations.

Causes of Hay fever Different pollens are present at different times of year. So its really difficult to gauge which pollen might have affected you, or the type of pollen that you may be allergic to. There are of course several factors that include both weather and air quality that might only aggravate the situation that you already are in.

Treatment There are various treatments, available over the counter from a pharmacist, though antihistamine tablets or medicine are known to reduce the overall effect on the body of one of the main chemicals released by the allergic response. There are nasal sprays containing steroids and other substances that reduce the local inflammatory response in the nose. There are also eye drops with similar effects on the eye. It is important to note that people with asthmatic symptoms need treatment as for asthma and not for hay fever.

Occasionally the doctor may consider it necessary to prescribe either tablets containing steroids, or possibly an injection to ease your problem. These may have more serious side effects than the other treatments, so it’s your pick really to weigh the possible benefits have against the possible disadvantages. There are injection treatments to de-sensitize patients against the substance they may be allergic to. Unfortunately these can bring on serious reactions, and can only be given under close hospital supervision, and are thus hardly ever used.

Prevention Although you cannot really change the natural occurrences, there may be several ways to prevent them in these situations as well. These include:
* In the summer stay inside between 5pm and 7pm, when pollen counts are usually high. Keep windows and doors closed, especially at these times and also while sleeping.
* Use an air conditioner or filter when possible, at home, work, and in the car, to remove pollen and other allergens from the air.
* Damp dust and vacuum your home regularly, to minimize the presence of pollen and dust.
* Airing bedclothes in direct sunlight is also helpful.
* Be aware of the pollen count (usually broadcast along with the weather), and avoid areas of high pollen concentration, e.g. long grass, lawn mowings, and trees if allergic to these. If you need to work in these environments consider wearing a mask and goggles.
Avoid unnecessary extra irritants such as smoke and chemical fumes. These are suggestive measures for you to reflect and them implement upon to save your health from these miniature forms of natural disasters.

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