Having an allergic reaction to something must be the most common thing there is in the everyday world. An allergy is simply the body’s immune system’s reaction to substances that are deemed harmful. When the immune system attacks these substances, the symptoms that come out manifest as an allergy attack. There are many substances such as peanuts, shellfish, eggs, milk, dust, insect bites and pollen that cause allergic reactions.

An allergic reaction to pollen is called hay fever and this is also known allergic rhinitis. The illness is named after the “haying season” when pollen grains are teeming in the air. Hay fever is caused by pollen carried by the wind from trees that include birch, alder, hazel, hornbeam, horse chestnut, willow, poplar, plane, lime and olive. Among these, the birch and olive pollen are most dominant while about 90 percent of the total cases of hay fever are caused by the grass pollen from the rye and timothy.

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Hay fever effects come in case to case basis per person. While some might experience only mild reactions, there are others who suffer severe ones. Coughing, headache, itching nose, runny nose and sneezing are among the symptoms of the illness. Sensitivity to flavors and an impaired sense of smell might also be experienced by others while others will feel watering of the eyes due to nose irritation. Other common reactions are sore throat, wheezing and conjunctivitis.

A patient’s symptom history is used to determine the diagnosis of hay fever. A doctor will ask questions on the frequency of the symptoms, its severity and onset. Other considerations like diet changes, exposure to pets and allergens as well as weather conditions will also be looked into in the evaluation of hay fever. To determine specific sensitivity to particular allergens, skin testing is also performed. The doctor will also check reactions to cross-reacting substances, as cross-reactivity to other types of pollen is normal.

Avoiding exposure to pollen is the best prevention against hay fever. Should you go outdoors, be sure to use protective face mask for filtering pollen. As pollen levels are high during early mornings and evenings, you should also avoid going out then. Do not expose your clothes to pollen when drying them by putting them outside. Pollen immediately attaches itself to clothes if they are just exposed to it for a moment and wearing these pollen-contaminated clothes could trigger an allergic reaction. Mowing the lawn is also absolute no-no for people prone to pollen allergies. As mowing disperses pollen into the air, chances for contracting hay fever increases. Putting of a little cream on the nostrils and around the eyes to prevent pollen from entering, is also recommended by some doctors.

Symptoms of hay fever are treatable by quite a number of medications available over the counter. These include fast-acting antihistamines, short-acting antihistamines, longer-acting antihistamines, leukotriene receptor antagonists, corticosteroid nasal sprays, topical decongestants, cromolyn sodium, allergy shots and herbal remedies. Hay fever symptoms can be relieved with the use of any of these medications. Antihistamines could cause drowsiness though so great care should be taken in taking this medication. Driving or operating heavy machines should be avoided.

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