Pollen allergy: symptoms, remedies, and prevention

Rinse your eyes frequently with cold water. Keep your home well-ventilated. And check for any allergies to plant products. What foods to eat and what to avoid.

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Natural remedies for pollen allergies in spring 1

For many people, the arrival of spring means watery eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose: a quarter of Italians and 30 percent of children and adolescents suffer from spring allergies, starting with pollen allergies. What can we do? How can we protect ourselves? And what are the best remedies?

What is pollen allergy?

Pollen allergy is a seasonal allergy, with its well-defined symptoms (as we will see), and it is caused by the presence of pollen in the air. Those pollens that for plants mean life and reproduction: these small particles, once released by plants, settle on other plants or on the ground and start the reproduction process. In the meantime, however, the pollens have come into contact with the mucous membranes of the person suffering from allergies and have created the resulting problems. The pollens come from plants and from flowers, but also from trees, grass and mushrooms.

Symptoms

Grasses and even common weeds contain the most common allergens. Whenever our bodies come into contact with these allergens, they react by triggering their defense mechanisms, which, in the case of seasonal allergies, involve the nose and eyes.

The most obvious symptoms of pollen allergy are:
  • Frequent and recurring sneezing
  • Tearing
  • A runny nose
  • Itchy nose and eyes
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Dyspnea, or difficulty breathing breathe on a regular basis
  • Asthma
  • Diarrhea
  • Irregular sleep
  • Feeling of oppression in the chest

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of pollen allergies is achieved through skin tests, known as pick tests. These tests use a special lancet to inoculate small amounts of allergens into the skin of the forearm. Reading the skin's inflammatory response, if present, within 15-20 minutes indicates sensitization to that specific allergen. Once you're certain you're allergic, it's best to consult a specialist for the right treatment or simple remedies.

Oral allergy syndrome

Oral allergy syndrome can be triggered when certain classic allergens (pollen, dust mites, and others) interact with foods that synergistically increase the effects of the allergy. For example, foods in a high-fat diet promote inflammation and derail the immune system toward allergies. Furthermore, regarding cross-allergies, a recent conference of experts from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology discussed the fact that a very high percentage, between 50 and 75 percent, of birch allergy sufferers experience discomfort when eating birch. celery.

Types of hay fever

Le hay fever they are distinguished on the basis of the plants involved.

  • Grasses

They are the leading cause of pollen allergies in Italy. They are widespread throughout the country (especially in the North and Central Italy); they flower in April, peaking between May and June, and in some areas they can be found as late as September. Large granules, conjunctival symptoms, and rhinitis.

A plant of the Compositae family, it flowers between May and June and is widespread everywhere, especially inland.

Widespread throughout coastal areas and below 1000 meters in southern Italy; the pollination season is very long, with pollen now almost always found separately in midsummer and midwinter; the peak is in spring.

Pollination lasts from February-March to May, in some areas until June.

  • Ambrosia

A plant from the Compositae family, widespread in the North, especially in Lombardy (peaks at 15% of the population). It flowers in late summer and early autumn.

The pollination period, very abundant, is between February and March.

Herbal remedies

Some herbs are very helpful for pollen allergies.

  • Chamomile: It has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce irritation of the respiratory tract.
  • Nettle: It has natural antihistamine properties that can relieve allergy symptoms.
  • Echinacea: It is useful for strengthening the immune system and can help reduce allergy symptoms.

Essential oil remedies

There are two essential oils that can certainly provide benefits in case of pollen allergies.

  • Eucalyptus oil: It has decongestant effects and can be useful for clearing the airways. It can be diffused into the air or used as an inhalation.
  • Olio di lavanda: It is known for its antihistamine properties and can be used in diffusers or inhaled directly.

Natural remedies

Don't panic, though: surviving spring is possible. In addition to the right medications recommended by your doctor, Here are some simple tips to contain the symptoms even on a sunny and windy day.:

  • Wash your eyes often with cold water and before going to sleep, make compresses using a piece of cotton soaked in chamomile and rosemary tea.
  • Keep doors and windows closed when pollen levels are high, especially at night and early in the morning.
  • When you wake up, cover your bed with a sheet to prevent pollen from settling on blankets and pillows, which could trigger nighttime allergy attacks.
  • Avoid leaving the house when the temperature is rising, because the heat encourages the release of pollen into the air.
  • Prefer walks after a rainy day because the water breaks down all the pollen in circulation.
  • Avoid smoky environments because the mucous membranes of your nose and eyes become even more irritated.
  • Keep the air circulating in your home, but don't overdo it with your obsession with household hygiene. Indoor air is polluted by volatile particles from detergents and similar products. This can lead to respiratory allergies.
  • On the contrary, dogs and cats help. Their allergens engage the immune response and reduce the risk of allergies.
  • Finally, diet: in 20-25% of cases, pollen allergies also involve allergies to certain plant foods. These are fruits and vegetables that are allergenically related to the offending plant. Eating these foods can cause reactions, either a few minutes later with oral discomfort or later elsewhere. Therefore, it's important to understand the type or species of plant allergy to avoid harmful foods. For example, in case of allergies to birch trees Avoid: apples, pears, medlars, peaches, cherries, plums, dried fruit, kiwi, carrots, celery, fennel, parsley, soybeans, and broad beans. In case of allergy to composites: banana, chestnuts, chicory, dandelion, lettuce, celery, parsley, carrot, fennel, sunflower oil, margarine, tarragon, chamomile, sunflower honey, dandelion honey. Finally, for the grassesKiwi, watermelon, peach, plum, citrus fruit, melon, apricot, cherry, almond, tomato. In general, it's best to consult an allergist or nutritionist to plan your diet, also to avoid nutritional imbalances or deficiencies.

What to do about allergies

Other things you can do to prevent allergies include:
  • Don't stay outdoors when it rains, as rain reduces pollen to very small particles, which can more easily enter the lower respiratory tract.
  • It is best to travel with the windows closed when driving.
  • Avoid places where the grass has recently been cut.
  • Put aside the carpets with the arrival of milder temperatures and wash the curtains.
  • Wash your hair often.
  • Consult the pollen calendar, which can help you spend the right amount of time outdoors at the right time.
  • If you suffer from allergies, use hypoallergenic mattress covers and pillowcases.

Medicines and eye drops for pollen allergies

Only if and when natural remedies are ineffective, and your doctor is aware and supportive, can you take some specific medications and eye drops for pollen allergies.
The type of medicines varies based on the areas of the body, and in particular:
  • For the eyes: antihistamine and cortisone eye drops.
  • For the nose: antihistamines and inhaled steroids, even in combination.
  • For the bronchi: Fast-acting bronchodilator drugs to relieve acute symptoms. Depending on the severity of your asthma, you may also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs specifically for the nasobronchial region, cortisone, or biological drugs prescribed by your doctor.

Pollen allergy in children

If your children are suffering from the side effects of allergies, we offer a handy guide to help you address the situation in the most appropriate way and alleviate the discomfort this season causes your little ones:

  • Teach children the importance of washing their hands and avoiding contact with their eyes to avoid itching and inflammation.
  • In spring, wash your children's hair more often: pollen can get trapped in their hair and settle on pillows.
  • When traveling by car, no open windows. If you are a fan of bicycles or scooters protect the eyes, nose and mouth of your little passengers.
  • Furnish your home without rugs, carpets, or curtains: they easily accumulate dust and pollen. Also, avoid stuffed animals during this time.
  • Prefer sports in indoor environments (swimming pools and gyms).
  • Wash your house often: pollen particles settle on floors in particular. Avoid airing rooms during the hottest hours of the day.

Prevention

There aren't many preventative measures for pollen allergies. But the ones we know about can be quite effective.
  • Avoid exposure to pollen whenever possible, especially during the months when it circulates in greater quantities.
  • Avoid going out immediately after a thunderstorm. pioggia, in fact, fragments the pollen, making it tiny and facilitating its entry into the airways.
  • When allergies are severe, unfortunately, walking and visiting parks should be avoided during the middle of the day. Pollen concentrations are highest during those hours.
  • When you get home, if you have a pollen allergy, change your clothes and take a shower. This will help you avoid the risk of exposure to the allergen, even at night.

Foods that help with pollen allergies

Even the choices we make at the table can be useful, or harmful, to counteract theallergy da Pollen. According to a recent study from the University of Vienna, primarily iron and vitamin deficiencies (D, A, and C) lower the immune system's defenses against pollen. A diet rich in micronutrients is essential, including:
  • Banana apples, watermelon and melon
  • Carrot, fennel, celery, lettuce, parsley, pumpkin
  • Walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios
  • Sunflower oil
  • Chicory
  • Chestnuts

Foods to avoid with pollen allergies

Other foods, however, can cause damage and increase the risk of allergy da pollen. First of all:
  • Milk and dairy products that thicken mucus.
  • Cream, butter and yogurt.
  • Ice creams that contain milk.
  • Processed meats.
  • Avocado and eggplant.

Pollen allergies and the climate crisis

The climate crisis will lead to a huge worsening of allergies da pollen..According to a published survey, Nature Communications.In the United States alone, pollen levels will increase 200 percent by the end of the century if global warming is not contained. This is simply because allergy seasons will be brought forward by up to 40 days in spring and will last up to 19 days longer after spring. Furthermore, rising temperatures and harmful emissions will cause plants to grow faster and produce more pollen.

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