Do you have a pollen allergy when there is fine powder in the air?

Though pollen is important for plant growth, however, it can be unpleasant symptoms for people with pollen allergies.

During growing seasons, pollen spreads through the air and fertilizes plants.

In case when people with allergies breathe in this pollen, their body identifies it as a threat.

This results in triggering an allergic reaction.

It can cause a number of symptoms like watery eyes, itchy throat, runny nose, sneezing, etc.

While some people with asthma may experience the worst symptoms due to existing asthma symptoms.

Moreover, it can also include wheezing and coughing.

When a person breathes in pollen, it releases water-soluble protein on the respiratory lining.

These proteins are, in most cases, harmless, however, the body can mistakenly recognize them as harmful substances.

As a result, the body reacts to this perceived threat by making and releasing IgE antibodies.

Keep on reading.

Pollen Allergy

Pollen is a very fine powder that trees, flowers, grasses, and weeds produce to fertilize other plants of the same species.

Moreover, it is one of the most common causes of allergies in the United States.

A number of people can have an adverse immune response when they breathe in pollen.

The immune system, in most cases, wards off illness by defending the body against harmful intruders like viruses and bacteria.

However, in people with pollen allergy, the immune system identifies the harmless pollen as a dangerous intruder.

The immune system then begins to produce chemicals including histamines to fight against the pollen.

This is an allergic reaction. The specific type of pollen that causes it is an Allergen.

pollen allergy 1

Furthermore, allergic reactions can lead to a number of irritating symptoms like sneezing, a stuffy nose, and watery eyes.

While some people can have allergy symptoms year-round, others only have them during certain times of the year.

For instance, people who are sensitive to birch pollen often have an increase in symptoms during the spring when birch trees are in bloom.

In the same way, those with ragweed allergies are most affected during early fall.

Once a person develops a pollen allergy, it is unlikely to go away.

However, you can treat symptoms with medications and allergy shots.

With the help of certain lifestyle changes, you can also relieve symptoms.

According to the National Health Interview Survey, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7.2% of children and 7.7% of adults in the United States had hay fever in 2018.

Learn more about Allergies in Dubai here.

Types of Pollen Allergy

There are hundreds of plant species that release pollen into the air and trigger an allergic reaction.

Some of the common culprits are birch trees, oak trees, grass, and ragweed plants.

Birch Pollen Allergy

This one is the most common airborne allergen during the spring. As birch tree blooms, they release tiny grains of pollen that scatter by the wind.

A single birch tree can produce about 5.5 million pollen grains.

Oak Pollen Allergy

Just like birch trees, oak trees, send pollen into the air during spring.

While the oak tree causes mild allergies in comparison to the pollen of other trees, it tends to stay in the air for longer periods of time.

This can cause severe allergic reactions in some people with pollen allergies.

Grass Pollen Allergy

The grass is the primary trigger of pollen allergy during the spring and summer months.

Moreover, there are different types of grass, and only a few of them like perennial rye, Bermuda grass, and bluegrass are capable of triggering allergies.

Ragweed Pollen Allergy

Ragweed plants are weeds that are most likely to cause allergies and one plant can produce about 1 billion grains of pollen.

Furthermore, they are most active during the early fall months, and depending on the location, ragweed may begin to spread the pollen as early as August and continue to November.

Also, the wind-driven pollen can travel hundreds of miles and survives through a mild winter.

Pollen Allergy Symptoms and Causes

In most cases, pollen allergy symptoms are:

  • nasal congestion
  • sore throat
  • cough
  • swollen, bluish skin beneath the eyes
  • decrease in sense of taste or smell
  • increase in asthmatic reactions
  • itchy, watery eyes
  • runny nose, sinus pressure which can also cause the facial pain

pollen allergy 2

Pollen allergies can take place when your immune system mistakenly identifies pollen as a dangerous substance.

It is unclear what causes any type of allergy, including pollen, while experts believe that genetics can play a role.

Diagnosing a Pollen Allergy

Your primary care physician can diagnose a pollen allergy. However, they can also refer you to an allergist for allergy testing to confirm the diagnosis.

An allergist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating allergies.

Allergy testing involves the following steps:

Your doctor will ask you about the medical history and symptoms, including when they started, how long they persist, and whether they are always present or get better or worse at a certain time of the year.

Moreover, they will perform a skin prick test to find the specific allergen that causes your symptoms.

During this procedure, they will prick different areas of your skin and insert a small number of different types of allergens.

If you are allergic to any of the substances, you will develop redness, swelling, and itchiness at the site within 15 to 20 minutes.

Furthermore, you may also see raised, round area that looks like hives.

Your doctor can aslo perform allergy testing through bloodwork

Treatment Options

If you still experience symptoms while taking preventive measures, the following can help:

Medications

Different over-the-counter, OTC allergy medications can help. These are:

  • antihistamines like cetirizine or diphenhydramine
  • decongestants like pseudoephedrine or oxymetazoline
  • medications that combine an antihistamine and a decongestant like loratadine/pseudoephedrine and fexofenadine/pseudoephedrine

deongestants

Allergy Shots

Your doctor can recommend allergy shots if medications are not enough to ease your symptoms.

These are like a form of immunotherapy, where you receive a series of injections of the allergen.

The amount of allergen in the shot gradually increases over time.

Moreover, these shots will modify your immune system’s response to the allergen and help to reduce the severity of the allergic reactions.

You may experience complete relief 1 year after receiving allergy shots, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

Furthermore, the treatment may continue for a total of 3 to 5 years.

it is important to note that allergy shots are not recommended for children younger than 5 years of age.

Home Remedies for Pollen Allergy

With the help of home remedies, you can take steps to relieve pollen allergy symptoms. These are:

You can use a squeeze bottle or Neti Pot to flush pollen from your nose.

Try herbs and extracts like PA-free butterbur which does not contain toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids or spirulina.

Remove and wash the clothes that you wear outside after coming back home.

Dry clothes in a dryer rather than outside your home on a clothing line.

Using Air Conditioning in cars and homes.

remedies

Moreover, you can invest in a portable high-efficiency particulate air, HEPA filter, or dehumidifier.

Vacuum your home regularly with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEP Filter.

Drinking herbal teas made with ginkgo, milk thistle, red clover, stinging nettles or yarrow can help.

These herbal preparations may have anti-inflammatory effects that may help reduce allergy symptoms.

Also, you can take herbal capsules like Allium cepa or Euphrasia.

Prevention Tips

Just like other allergies, the best way you can prevent the symptoms of a pollen allergy is to avoid the allergen.

Though pollen is difficult to avoid, Still, you may be able to minimize the exposure to pollen by:

  • staying indoors on dry, windy days
  • having others take care of gardening or yard work during peak seasons
  • wearing a dust mask when the pollen count is high
  • close the doors and windows when the pollen count is high

In order to find out the pollen count in your area, you can check an app or weather section of your local newspaper.

When to Call a Doctor?

It is important to call your docotr or seek medical advice when your symptoms become more severe.

Or if the allergy medications are causing unwanted side effects.

Moreover, make sure to consult your doctor before trying any new herbs or supplements.

This is because some can interfere with the effectiveness of certain medications.

Final Thoughts

Pollen allergy can interrupt your everyday activities causing symptoms like sneezing, a stuffy nose, and watery eyes. With the help of lifestyle changes and medications, you can take steps to reduce the symptoms.

Moreover, it is important that you avoid trees, grasses, and weeds that trigger your allergies. It is a good first step to preventing allergies. You can do this by staying indoors when the pollen levels are high, especially n windy days, or you can wear a dust mask to avoid breathing in pollen. OTC medications or allergy shots can also help to reduce the symptoms. OTC antihistamines, and decongestants can help. However, you can also take a combination of an antihistamine and a decongestant.