Hay fever season is just around the corner and the annual misery for sufferers begins again. Pollen from plants, grass and trees is responsible for the typical symptoms of hay fever, such as frequent sneezing, runny or blocked nose, itchy eyes, throat and nose. Hay fever sufferers with more severe allergies to pollen might also experience headaches, sweats and the loss of their sense of smell.
Hay fever is usually caused by high pollen counts, measured by the amount of grains of pollen in one cubic metre of air.
High pollen counts can also play havoc with the respiratory systems of those who have asthma and bronchitis, both chronic conditions that affect the lungs. When you have a respiratory condition such as asthma, your immune condition is already severely compromised, making you more prone to suffering allergic reactions to the likes of pollen.
If you have asthma and also have a hay fever reaction, you might expect symptoms such as tightness of chest and shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. Taking more of the medication you have been prescribed to relieve your asthmatic symptoms will generally offer relief from hay fever reactions, too.
A side effect of hay fever is allergic rhinitis, where the inside of the nose becomes inflamed because of its allergic reaction to pollen. Allergic rhinitis can also be caused by allergic reactions to dust, mould and animal dander. You might only suffer from allergic rhinitis at certain times of the year; for example, when the pollen count is high during spring, summer and harvest season. However, it can affect some people all year round, depending on the severity and breadth of their allergies.
The symptoms of allergic rhinitis are typically like those of the common cold, such as sneezing, blocked or runny nose and itchiness.
Comments are closed.