What
is an allergy?
Allergy
occurs as an interaction of hereditary factors and environmental influences. An
allergy is an overreaction of the defense system to various environmental factors,
otherwise harmless substances that we inhale, touch with the skin, inject with
or eat. In repeated contact with these substances, the body's defense system
becomes disrupted and reactions occur between the protein's side - the allergen
and its own protein - of the antibody, with unnecessary and excessive antibody
production. The antibodies responsible for the allergic reactions belong to the
immunogolulin E (IgE) group. Immunoglobulins bind to acceptor molecules
(receptors) on mast cells, which contain a special substance - histamine. When
IgE binds to the mast cell, histamine is released, circulation and increased
circulation through the blood vessels, smooth muscle contractions and the onset
of symptoms occur. Allergies most commonly occur in childhood but can occur at
any age.
In
Croatia, it is estimated that 7-10% of the population suffers from hay fever,
and 3-5% suffers from asthma.
What
Causes Allergies?
Causes
of Allergies - Allergens are numerous. The most common allergens include
pollen, dust mites, house dust, animal hair, mold spores, food, insect poisons
and UV rays. Thus, inhaled allergens, such as pollen, dust mites, house dust,
animal hair, feathers, molds and the like, most commonly cause respiratory
symptoms and diseases such as allergic rhinitis and asthma. Food allergens can
cause digestive disorders, as well as systemic and skin reactions. Insect
bites, as well as medicines and vaccines cause systemic or only skin reactions.
Allergy
tendency is hereditary, so it is important to know about an allergic disease in
the family, for example, in a child whose parent is an allergic parent, the
risk of allergic disease is about 30%.
What
is pollen?
Pollen
are microscopic beads that produce plants to reproduce. Important to us is the
pollen that is transmitted by the wind because it can then be inhaled and cause
allergy in a sensitive population. The pollen grains are light and wind-borne
and can be carried over distances of up to 100 kilometers. Most pollen, about
90%, remains at the point of release. In larger settlements and cities, due to
the particular microclimatic conditions, pollen grains are most dense in the
air layer up to 10 m from the ground. With favorable weather conditions, warm
and dry weather (30-40% humidity), high air pressure releases large amounts of
pollen.
What
Are The Symptoms And Signs Of A Pollen Allergy?
A
characteristic of pollen allergies is their periodic occurrence, related to the
season of occurrence of a particular type of pollen in the air. The hay fever,
also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, is the most common form of allergy.
It is an allergic upper respiratory tract disease that occurs seasonally, at a
time when particles of a particular pollen are in the air. Characteristic
symptoms are:
a) conjunctivitis
- itching, burning and narrowing of the eyes
b)
rhinitis - itching of the tip of the nose, feeling of obstruction and fullness
of the nose, sneezing and copious watery discharge from the nose, and
occasional disappearance of smell.
What
is the difference between hay fever symptoms and a cold?
Sometimes
it is difficult to distinguish symptoms of seasonal allergies from common colds
or viruses. Seasonal allergy (rhinitis) most often occurs at the time of year
when pollen (pollen production) of various plants begins. Colds are indicated
by symptoms such as fever and cough, however, they disappear spontaneously
after a short period of time, unlike allergy symptoms that last much longer and
usually calm down only with the use of appropriate medications.
How
to identify an allergy?
if
there is a diagnosis of allergy within the immediate family, there is a greater
possibility of developing allergy in children;
if
the symptoms occur frequently, each year for the same period of time (spring,
summer, autumn) it is an allergy;
if
the symptoms persist for more than two weeks, it is probably an allergy;
allergy
causes itching of the eyes and nose, while the cold does not itch;
in
allergies, the mucus present in the nose and throat is watery and translucent,
whereas in colds the mucus is usually thick and yellow-green;
there
is no relief in allergic rhinitis after sneezing, and in infectious rhinitis,
sneezing leads to relief;
Symptoms
of year-round rhinitis are somewhat more difficult to recognize: they do not
occur seasonally but occasionally throughout the year, regardless of flowering
season, and sometimes are year-round with changes in the intensity of symptoms;
the symptoms appear depending on when and with which allergen the person comes
in contact (dust mites, house dust, cat or dog hair, feathers, molds ...).
Can
the allergy go away on its own?
Allergen
information remains forever "written down" in the body. If the body
is not exposed to the allergen for an extended period of time, the antibodies may
disappear. New contact with the same allergen may have a different clinical
intensity, but theoretically will not disappear. Therefore, prevention is a
permanent avoidance of allergens.
Where
and how to test yourself?
Testing
is mainly carried out by specialized institutions, ie. hospitals and clinics
for the treatment of pulmonary diseases.
The
term "allergic testing" means skin allergy testing in which very
small amounts of standardized solutions of purified allergens are applied to or
on the skin and a local allergic reaction to the skin is observed and measured.
Testing
can be performed using several methods:
Intradermally,
by applying allergens to the skin with a needle,
Using
an allergen by scratching the skin ("scrach test"),
The
prick test,
Skin
contact (test for skin allergens-metals, formalin, etc.).
How
to cure or alleviate an allergy?
Today's
science is making tremendous efforts to find the right cure for allergies. The
most common mistakes are when the patient is treated independently by taking
sprays and drops without first consulting their doctor. Only when the allergy
is confirmed can it be treated or alleviated.
Key
parameters for successful treatment and reduction of allergic disease symptoms:
patient
education
allergen
avoidance
adequate
drug therapy
immunotherapy
(hyposensitization)
Treatment
should be started on time and should last until the end of the allergen (eg,
hayfever treatment should be started at least 15 days before the start of
pollinating and should last until the end of pollination. It is unusually
important to monitor the pollen concentration in the air - see Pollen forecast.
What
are tips for people allergic to pollen?
it
is necessary to examine what the person is allergic to;
follow
the hay forecast
regularly
take the treatment prescribed by your doctor.
during
high pollen concentration that a person is allergic to in the air:
Avoid
staying and exercising in the area of lush vegetation at a time of high pollen
concentration in the air;
Avoid
drying and ventilating outdoor clothing and bedding;
rooms
in which you stay must be ventilated briefly
stay
indoors and air-conditioned;
if,
however, a person must remain outdoors, upon returning home, it is necessary to
wash their hands, take a shower, wash their hair, and change their clothes to
prevent the introduction of pollen into the apartment;
How
can I find out about pollen concentrations?
In
order to allow people allergic to pollen to be "prepared" for the
increased concentration of pollen they are allergic to, our Department performs
measurements of pollen concentration in the air. In our county, there is one
haymaking device for the time being, and it is located on the roof of Medarev
General Hospital.
We
show the results of measurements in the colors of traffic lights - this is the
so-called pollen traffic light, look at the pollen forecast. So green indicates
low pollen in the air, yellow is moderate, and red is high. Symptoms of the
disease at low pollen concentration in the air will be found only in people with
a high pollen sensitivity, in a moderate number of allergic people, and in a
high majority. Also, it should be said that the pollen concentration can also
be 0 (zero), which means that the pollen in question is not in the air at all.
Concentrations
of three pollen species are measured: pollen of trees, grasses and weeds. In
our area, weeds, wormwood and ragweed are the most important weeds. It is
interesting to say that pollen flowers have very little because the flowers are
pollinated by insects. As we know, most pollen occurs in the highest amounts in
the spring, while in the winter these quantities are much smaller.
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