Spring season is a significant contributor to flare-ups of those annoying environmental allergies. As trees and plants come out of their dormant phase, they can make people feel quite miserable. And for the unlucky ones, spring is not the only allergy-triggered season. It’s also common for allergies to trigger in the summer and fall. However, there are a lot of ways to help relieve the misery.
You are not alone if you suffer from seasonal allergies. Millions of people in the UK share the same misery: congestion, sneezing, and runny nose. Symptoms may also include itchy, watery eyes, rashes or hives and a scratchy throat or ears. Your problem might be limited to spring or fall. However, some people struggle with these irritating symptoms all year. You may ease your allergy symptoms and buy Nasonex Nasal Spray online quickly and conveniently.
What is Allergy?
Suppose you come into contact with a substance you’re allergic to, called an allergen. In that case, the immune system treats it as an intruder. In response, your immune system releases chemicals like histamines, leukotrienes and prostaglandins. These chemicals cause allergic symptoms like runny nose, itchy and watery eyes and nose, coughing, and sneezing.
The severity of your body’s reaction depends on how much of a threat the body perceives an allergen is. Many people don’t have an immune response to pollen. Still, many people’s immune systems take it as foreign and dangerous. So they treat the antigen like a pathogen or infection.
When people allergic to it breathe in, pollen in the air gets in their nasal passages. These pollen particles stick to mucus membranes and cause inflammation and irritation to the eyes and nose. In people who suffer severe reactions, their breathing is affected. Also, they may develop asthma.
The Most Common Seasonal Allergens
- Tree pollen— usually lasts from March until mid-May
- Grass pollen— usually lasts from Mid-May to mid-July
- Ragweed—Fall, usually lasts Mid-August until November
- Mould—Fall
All environmental allergies are not seasonal. However, the so-called perennial allergies may affect you all year. These include allergies to cat hair and dust mites. The weather may also affect pollen levels, delaying or extending how long pollen allergies last each year.
Symptoms of Seasonal Allergy
The seasonal allergy symptoms a person experiences may vary and depends on the specific allergen that triggers his immune system and the severity of his allergies. It’s not always easy to identify whether the symptoms are due to a seasonal allergy or some other condition, but common signs can include the following:
- Congestion and nasal stuffiness
- Coughing, wheezing or breathlessness
- Sneezing and runny nose
- Sinus pressure around the nose and cheeks
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Itchy throat, nose and eyes
- Sore throat aggravated by mucus
- Feeling or being sick
- Swollen eyes, lips, mouth or throat
What causes seasonal allergies?
An allergy begins when your immune system mistakes a non-toxic substance for a threatening invader. Your immune system then produces antibodies that stay alert for that particular allergen. When exposed to the allergen again, these antibodies can release several immune system chemicals, like histamine, that cause allergy symptoms. Prevalent allergy triggers include the following:
- Airborne allergens are pollen, animal dander, dust mites and mould
- Certain foods, particularly eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish
- Insect stings from a wasp or bee
- Medications, specifically penicillin or penicillin-based antibiotics
- Latex or other substances you touch may produce allergic skin reactions
Risk factors for Seasonal Allergy
A person is more likely to develop an allergy if he:
- has a family history of allergies or asthma, like hay fever, eczema or hives
- is a child
- has asthma or another allergic condition
Complications
Having an allergy increases your risk of specific medical conditions, including the following:
Anaphylaxis
If you have severe allergies, you’re at heightened risk of serious allergy-induced reaction anaphylaxis. Foods, medications and insect stings are its most common triggers.
Asthma
If you have an allergy, you are more likely to develop asthma — an immune system reaction affecting airways and breathing. Sometimes, asthma gets triggered by exposure to an allergen in your environment.
Sinusitis and infections of the ears or lungs
The risk of getting these conditions is higher if you have asthma or hay fever.
How to Relieve and Treat Seasonal Allergy Symptoms?
You can’t prevent seasonal allergies altogether. However, you may reduce your exposure to allergens and their impact of them. Some of the most accessible lifestyle solutions for seasonal allergies involve avoiding your triggers, whatever the year’s season. A few ways that help you to do this include:
- Stay indoors on dry, windy days when the pollen count is likely to be too high.
- Wash clothes and shower after being outside to get off allergens.
- Close doors and windows at night.
- Use air conditioning at home and in the car; a HEPA filter may help.
Over-the-counter, non-prescription medications might help ease the symptoms. Treatments you may try to provide seasonal allergy relief can include:
- Antihistamines – medications with the active ingredient cetirizine block or reduce histamines that cause symptoms.
- Decongestants – provide temporary relief from nasal stuffiness and are often available as tablets, liquids or nasal sprays.
- Combination medications – certain types of allergy medication combine antihistamines and decongestants to relieve more symptoms at once, such as Zyrtec-D.
- Immunotherapy – a seasonal allergy shot that aims to help the body develop immunity or tolerance to the allergen
- Nasal corticosteroids – these nasal sprays work to reduce inflammation and allergy symptoms
Talk to your doctor if you have questions about the best way to relieve your worst allergy symptoms.
Ways to Reduce your Allergy Exposure
There’s a lot you can do to ease the discomfort:
- Exercise outdoors when pollen counts are lowest, before the sun is up, in the late afternoon or early evening. It is because exercise enables you to breathe deeply and take in more pollen. If you’re going for a stroll, take a non-drowsy antihistamine before going out.
- In cold weather, try to lessen the chances of having an asthma attack.
- Check daily air quality forecasts. Plan your outdoor activities when pollution levels are lowest.
- Begin taking medicines before the beginning of the allergy season—when pollen, grass, ragweed, or mould counts soar.
- Close the doors and windows of your home, office, and car to seal pollen.
- Wear a hat outdoors, and wash your hair before bed to keep pollen off the pillow and your face.
- Change clothes after spending time outdoors to limit your exposure to pollen. Studies show that half of the pollen that accumulates on clothing remains even if you try to shake or brush it off before you go indoors.
- Avoid mowing the grass or raking mouldy leaves if those are your triggers, or try to wear a mask.
Conclusion
Your body’s immune system overreacts to outdoor stimulants like mould spores and pollen. Allergy symptoms may bloom when the seasons change. Watery, itchy eyes, a tickly throat, and a runny, stuffy nose may make you dread springing ahead and falling back. Likely triggers include tree pollen, grass, mould, and ragweed.
Whatever the cause, allergies may make you feel miserable. Treatments include over-the-counter or prescription medications, sometimes allergen immunotherapy.
