Methods of treatment and prevention of seasonal allergies in children and adults
"Seasonal allergy" (pollinosis) is a term used to denote allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Every spring, summer and autumn, pollen from trees and grasses moves with air currents, gets on the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes and throat and causes people suffering from allergies, so-called hay fever. Allergy to flower pollen is the most common type of hay fever.
Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis is marked by clear seasonality, which repeats from year to year and coincides with the flowering of certain plants. Clinical symptoms of pollinosis appear every year in the same months. There is a connection with staying in a certain area. The flowering calendar for allergy sufferers helps the patient "manage" the disease. It is worthwhile for a person suffering from pollinosis to go to another climatic zone during the flowering of allergenic plants - and she is healthy.
Symptoms of allergy in a child under one year
Symptoms of hay fever:
- sneezing;
- rhinorrhea (runny nose), nasal congestion;
- itching of the eyes, nose, throat, palate;
- red eyes that water;
- postnasal congestion (mucus flows from the nose along the back wall of the pharynx);
- headache caused by nasal congestion;
- swelling of the eyelids.
Swelling of the throat in case of allergies and hay fever attacks occur less often. Conditions are life-threatening and require emergency medical care.
Symptoms of allergies in a child up to one year old depend on the type of allergy. Characteristic skin rashes (hives) on the face, neck, arms, buttocks, itching in the oral cavity, rhinorrhea, lacrimation, cough. Red spots on the skin itch and itch, the baby is fussy, sleeps poorly - in this condition, a consultation with an allergist is necessary. The diagnosis is made after a comprehensive examination. It is necessary to pass a blood test to find out what the allergy is, and/or conduct skin tests for allergens. An increased level of Ig E indicates the presence of an allergy in the patient.
Diagnosis of allergies during pregnancy is carried out by conventional methods. A woman donates blood for an analysis to identify an allergen or undergoes skin tests. After learning about "your" allergen, you should eliminate contact with it if possible. In severe cases, it is allowed to take claritin or hismanal, but only as prescribed by a doctor.
How is an allergy to the sun manifested? A pathological reaction to ultraviolet radiation (photodermatitis) is explained by immune disorders. Allergy is manifested by lichenization of the skin (thickening and strengthening of the pattern), violation of pigmentation, the appearance of papules, vesicles.
Which plants cause seasonal allergies
There are three main groups of plants that cause allergic rhinitis: woody plants, weeds, grasses and forbs. The spring peak of pollinosis incidence is noted for tree pollen (April-May). Pollen from hazel, alder, birch, oak, maple, sycamore, elm, ash, and poplar has the most pronounced allergic activity.
The spring-summer rise in the incidence of pollinosis causes the flowering of cereals (end of May - July). A strong allergen is the pollen of wild cereals: meadow fescue, timothy, wheatgrass, ryegrass.
The third wave falls on July-August. It is associated with the flowering of weeds: quinoa, wormwood, ragweed. Allergy to ragweed is the most severe type of pollinosis. Pollination of ragweed is observed on the territory of Ukraine from the end of July to the beginning of October.
The similarity between allergens of different types of pollen is noted. Moreover, allergens are present both in the pollen itself and in other parts of plants (fruits, seeds). Because of this, cross-food allergies are observed in hay fever patients. Read more about the symptoms of food allergies on our website Dobrobut.com.
Effective allergy remedy for adults
Pharmacological agents are used to alleviate the symptoms of hay fever. They eliminate the main manifestations of pollinosis: rhinitis, conjunctivitis. Nasal drops for allergic rhinitis and nasal sprays based on steroid hormones (beclomethasone, fluticasone) are prescribed both for the prevention and treatment of seasonal allergies. They well relieve local "nasal" symptoms: sneezing, congestion, rhinorrhea. Nasal antiallergic sprays (Azelastine, Komohexal) and vasoconstrictors (Naftizine, Galazolin) are also used to treat hay fever.
Eye drops from hay fever are prescribed for itching and/or pain in the eyes. Sodium cromoglicate (lecrolin) relieves itching and lacrimation well. Antihistamine drops (lodoxamide) relieve the symptoms of hay fever.
Antihistamine tablets help well with moderate pollinosis. Cetirizine (Zyrtek) and Luratadine (Claritin) reduce sneezing, rhinorrhea, and facilitate nasal breathing. An effective remedy for allergies for adults - erius - an antihistamine of the third generation. Unlike its predecessors, the product does not cause drowsiness, that is, it does not have the side effects of first- and second-generation antiallergic drugs.
Other means for the treatment of seasonal allergies
Steroid drugs are rarely prescribed for hay fever. Enterosorbents are used as auxiliary medicinal products. Enterosgel is not effective enough when allergic to pollen. Since the drug binds allergens in the gastrointestinal tract, it is more appropriate to prescribe it for food and drug allergies.
The main methods of treatment and prevention of seasonal allergies are pharmacotherapy during the exacerbation period and preseason allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT). Immunotherapy reduces sensitivity to allergens, inhibits the growth of specific Ig E. ACIT helps to "reboot" the immune system, so it no longer perceives the allergen as a threat. Along with injection immunotherapy, oral, intranasal, and sublingual ACIT methods are available.
In addition to drug therapy, patients with seasonal allergies are recommended to limit walking during the period of pollination of plants, shower and change clothes from "street" to home clothes, wear dark glasses and a medical mask outside, ventilate the room only in rainy weather.
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