What is a Pollen Allergy?
It is one of the most familiar causes of allergies in the United States. Pollen is a very fine powder build by trees, flowers, grasses, and weeds to pollinate other plants of the same species. Severe people have an adverse immune response when they respire in pollen.
The immune system generally protects the body against harmful invaders like viruses and bacteria to ward off illnesses. In people with pollen allergies, the immune system incorrectly identifies the harmless pollen as a threatening intruder. However, it starts to build chemicals to fight against the pollen.
However, pollen allergy is called an allergic reaction, and the specific kind of pollen that causes it is called an allergen. The reaction guides to numerous irritating symptoms, including:-
- Sneezing
- Stuffy nose
- Watery eyes
Some people have pollen allergy year-round, while others only have them throughout certain times of the year. For instance, people who are sensitive to birch pollen normally have raised symptoms throughout the spring when birch trees are in bloom.
Similarly, those who are irritant allergies are severely affected during the late spring and early fall. About 8% of adults in the United States feel hay fever, comporting to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI).
About a similar percentage of American children were cured with hay fever in 2014, comporting to the National Health Interview Survey, managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
What are the different kinds of pollen allergies?
However, there are severe plant species that free pollen into the air and trigger allergic reactions. Here are some of the severe familiar culprits:-
Birch pollen allergy
However, this pollen allergy is one of the most familiar airborne allergens during the spring. As the trees bloom, they free tiny grains of pollen that are dispersing by the wind. A single birch tree can build up to 5 million pollen grains, with severe traveling distances of up to 100 yards from the parent tree.
Oak pollen allergy
Like birch trees, oak trees supply pollen into the air during the spring. Oak pollen is examined to be mildly allergenic in contrast to the pollen of other trees. It stays in the air for permanent time periods. However, this can cause many allergic reactions in some people with pollen allergies.
Grass pollen allergy
However, grass pollen is the primary trigger of pollen allergies throughout the summer months. It can cause some of the most severe and harden-to-treat symptoms. However, the AAAAI researches that allergy shots and allergy tablets can be greatly effective in softening symptoms of grass pollen allergies.
Ragweed pollen allergy
Ragweed plants are the major culprits of allergies in the middle of weed pollens. However, they are severely active in the middle of the late spring and fall months.
Based on the location, ragweed may start increasing its pollen as early as the last week of July and pursue into October. However, its wind-driven pollen can tour hundreds of miles and live through a mild winter.
What are the symptoms of a pollen allergy?
Pollen allergy symptoms severe often include:-
- Nasal congestion
- Sinus pressure, which may create facial pain
- Runny nose
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Scratchy throat
- Cough
- Swollen, bluish-colored skin beneath the eyes
- Reduced sense of taste or smell
- Raised asthmatic reactions
How is a pollen allergy treated?
As with other allergies, the better treatment is to ignore the allergen. However, pollen is very hard to avoid. You may be able to reduce your exposure to pollen by:-
- Sticking indoors on dry, windy days
- Having others take care of any gardening or yard work throughout peak seasons
- Sapping a dust mask when pollen counts are great (check the internet or the weather section of the local newspaper)
- Securing doors and windows when pollen counts are high
Medications
If you still feel symptoms despite obtaining these preventive measures, there are much more over-the-counter (OTC) medications that may support:-
- Antihistamines, like cetirizine (Zyrtec) or diphenhydramine
- Decongestants, like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) or oxymetazoline (Afrin nasal spray)
- Medications that interact an antihistamine and a decongestant, like Actifed (triprolidine and pseudoephedrine) and Claritin-D (loratadine and pseudoephedrine)
Allergy strikes
Allergy strikes may be recommended if medications aren’t sufficient to reduce symptoms. Allergy strikes are a form of immunotherapy that may require a series of injections of the allergen. The amount of allergen in the shot normally increases over time.
The shots modify your immune system’s reactions to the allergen, supporting to reduce the severity of your allergic reactions. You may feel full relief within one to three years after beginning allergy shots.
