Pollen Allergy – From Disease To Recovery

Pollen – a common seasonal allergy, is a household name in many countries of the world. It is sometimes called “hay fever” while experts refer to it as “seasonal allergic rhinitis.”
Pollen Season; How does it affect people?
Plants release tiny pollen grains each spring, summer, and fall (and even in the winter in some US states) to fertilize other plants of the same species. Trees, grasses, and weeds produce most of the pollen that causes allergic reactions.

Plants produce small, light, and dry pollen grains that are carried by the wind that eventually reach your eyes, nose, and lungs. The immune system mistakenly identifies harmless pollen as a harmful invader in people with pollen allergies. As a result, chemicals are produced to combat pollen. This is known as an allergic reaction and the pollen that causes it is known as an allergen. 
Some people suffer from pollen allergies all year round while others only have them during certain times of the year. People who are sensitive to birch pollen, for example, usually experience more symptoms during the spring when birch trees are in bloom. Similarly, those with ragweed allergies are most affected during the late spring and early fall.

Statistics from Pakistan
In Pakistan, the peak pollen season in the capital city Islamabad starts from the first week of March and ends in mid-April. Extremely high pollen concentrations in the month of March and relatively low pollen concentrations in July were being recorded. The highest concentrations of pollens were observed in 2005 & the lowest in 2004 up till now.

Allergy Center In Islamabad

In the early 1980s, the idea of establishing an allergy treatment center came about. The goal was to provide a diagnostic, preventive, and curative plan for reducing allergy morbidity and mortality in the country. In 1981, NIH began providing allergy vaccine immunotherapy to patients suffering from allergic disorders and thus became a pioneer in this field.

The Allergy Center is the sole provider of pollen allergy testing and immunotherapy/ management services for the last twenty-nine years. Allergy Center also keeps liaison with Islamabad Capital Territory (CDA) in the Free Allergy Camps arranged at Aabpara Islamabad every year and makes use of the Meteorological Department weather forecast information on pollen for its patients’ convenience during the pollen season.

 Pollen allergy symptoms most often include:

1. Nasal congestion

2. Sinus pressure, which may cause facial pain

3. Runny nose

4. Itchy, watery eyes

5. Scratchy throat

6. Cough

7. Swollen, bluish-colored skin beneath the eyes

8. Decreased sense of taste or smell

9. Sneezing

10. Wheezing

With extra wheezing and coughing, pollen allergy also worsens the existing symptoms of some asthma patients.

Types of pollen allergy?

There are hundreds of plant species that release pollen into the air and trigger allergic reactions. Here are some of the more common culprits:

Birch pollen allergy

In the spring, birch pollen is one of the most common airborne allergens. The trees release tiny grains of pollen that are dispersed by the wind when they bloom. Birch trees can produce up to 5 million pollen grains per tree, many of which travel up to 100 yards from the parent tree.

Oak pollen allergy

In the spring, oak trees also release pollen into the air like birch trees. Compared to the pollen of other trees, oak pollen is mildly allergenic, but it stays in the air for a longer period of time. It can cause severe allergic reactions in allergy sufferers.

Grass pollen allergy

During the summer months, the grass is the main trigger of pollen allergies. Some of its symptoms are severe and difficult to treat. In the case of grass pollen allergies, allergy shots and allergy tablets can be highly effective.

Ragweed pollen allergy

Among weed pollens, ragweed is the most common culprit of allergies. They’re the most active between the late spring and fall months.

Depending on the location, however, ragweed may begin spreading its pollen as early as the last week of July and continue into the middle of October. Its wind-driven pollen can travel hundreds of miles and survive through a mild winter.

The allergy will likely persist once it develops. Allergy shots and medication can help treat it. You may also be able to reduce the symptoms of pollen allergies by changing your lifestyle.

You may be able to minimize your exposure to pollen by:

1. Staying indoors on dry, windy days. This will cut down the amount of pollen allergen you inhale and help reduce your symptoms.
2. Having others take care of any gardening or yard work during peak seasons

3. Wearing a dust mask when pollen counts are high (check the internet or the weather section of the local newspaper)

4. Closing doors and windows when pollen counts are high medications

5. Use central air conditioning or air cleaners with CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® filter and/or HEPA filtration to reduce indoor airborne allergens (including pollen that may enter your home through doors, windows, on your clothes, and on pets).

6. Wear sunglasses and cover your hair when going outside. This will help keep pollen out of your eyes and off your hair.

7. Shower daily before going to bed. This will remove pollen from your body and keep it off your bedding.

8. Limit close contact with pets that spend a lot of time outdoors. Wipe furry animals off when they come inside or bathe them weekly (if appropriate).

If you still experience symptoms despite taking these preventive measures, there are several over-the-counter (OTC) medications that may help:
1. Antihistamines, such as cetirizine (Zyrtec) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

2. Decongestants, such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) or oxymetazoline (Afrin nasal spray)

3. Medications that combine an antihistamine and a decongestant, such as Actifed (triprolidine and pseudoephedrine) and Claritin-D (loratadine and pseudoephedrine)

Allergy shots
Allergy shots may be recommended if medications aren’t enough to ease symptoms. Allergy shots are a form of immunotherapy that involves a series of injections of the allergen. The amount of allergen in the shot gradually increases over time.

The shots modify your immune system’s response to the allergen, helping to reduce the severity of your allergic reactions. You may experience complete relief within one to three years after starting allergy shots.
Home remedies

A number of home remedies may also help relieve pollen allergy symptoms. These include:

1. Using a squeeze bottle or neti pot to flush pollen from the nose

2. Try herbs and extracts, such as PA-free butterbur or spirulina

3. Removing and washing any clothing that has been worn outside

4. Drying clothes in a dryer rather than outside on a clothing line

5. Using air conditioning in cars and homes

6. Investing in a portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter or dehumidifier

7. Vacuuming regularly with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter

8. One example of a home remedy is eating local or raw honey. Some natural food experts maintain that eating local honey can help reduce pollen allergies in the same way that allergy shots do.

9. Drinking herbal teas made with gingko, milk thistle, red clover, stinging nettles, or yarrow. These herbal preparations may have anti-inflammatory effects, which might reduce allergy symptoms.

10. Using nasal saline irrigation tools, such as Neti pots, to flush the nasal passages, using warm water and salt.

11. Take herbal capsules, such as Allium cepa or Euphrasia.
The above home remedies are not scientifically proven to be effective, but anecdotal evidence suggests they may help some people.

Pollen allergy treatment

Your doctor, once the disease is diagnosed, may refer you to an allergist for allergy testing to further treatment and medication.

The allergist will first ask you about your medical history and your symptoms, including when they started and how long they’ve persisted.

Make sure to tell them if the symptoms are always present or get better or worse at certain times of the year. The allergist will then perform a skin prick test to determine the specific allergen that’s causing your symptoms.

During the procedure, the allergist will prick different areas of the skin and insert a small number of various types of allergens.

As with other allergies, the best treatment is to avoid the allergen. However, pollen is very difficult to avoid.

Also, be sure to consult your doctor before trying any new supplements or herbs because some can interfere with the effectiveness of certain medications.

Natural Remedies for Seasonal Allergies

1. Cleanse Your Nasal Passage
2. Smell Essential Oils
3. Deep Clean Your Home
4. Try Herbal Remedies
5. Give Acupuncture a Try

Helpful Tips
Check the weather. Your local weather report should give you the day’s pollen count: how much pollen is in the air and which plants are giving it off.

Pollen counts are higher when it’s warm, dry, and windy and lower when it’s cool, rainy, and wet. If you know it’s going to be a high-pollen day, stay inside as much as you can. The yard work can wait.

Create a pollen buffer outside.

If you think moving might help your allergies, think again. You’ll likely develop allergies to the plants that grow in your new area.

Take medicine. When pollen counts are high, take your medication before you notice symptoms to stop them before they start.