Everything you wanted to know…
Introduction
Pollen is a powdered substance that is required by the plants for their reproduction. Plants produce pollen grains to reproduce. Most people think that only flowers contain pollen but as a matter of fact, trees, grasses and weeds produce pollen for fertilization. Pollen allergies are very common. In United States alone, one in seven Americans suffers from pollen allergies making the prevalence rate of 12.87 % in total. They are source of several allergy-related problems with Hay-fever being the most common allergy induced by pollen.
What is pollen allergy?
Definition
If a person’s body reacts abnormally to the inhaled pollen resulting in the visible symptoms of allergy, then this type of allergy is called as “Pollen allergy”. As there are different types of pollens, allergies can be of many types. A person may suffer from one of the following types of pollen allergy.
Types of allergies
Tree, weed and grass pollen allergies are the major types of pollen allergy. However, all these types are further subdivided into an ample number of other types. Some of the sub-types are listed below:
Sub-types of Tree pollen allergies are Pecan, mountain cedar, oak, birch and ash pollen allergies etc.
Ragweed allergies are the most common form of weed pollen allergies. Other forms are redroot pigweed allergies and Russian thistle allergies etc.
Grass allergies have various forms such as bent grass allergy, Bermuda grass allergy, and canary grass allergy etc.
Miscellaneous forms of pollen allergies include Hemp pollen allergy, nettle pollen allergy, beet pollen allergy and Walnut tree allergy along with numerous other forms.
What causes pollen allergy?
Most of the cases of pollen allergies are reported during summer because weeds and grass pollinate during that time. Flowers rely on insects and wind to blow their pollen into other flowers for the purpose of reproduction. The problem occurs when the pollen, instead of being blown into the other flower, gets inhaled by the person. It is because of the wind that pollen ends up getting inhaled into our noses. Even during the autumn, the pollen from the weed are still in the air and people develop pollen allergies after inhaling them. Pollen may accumulate into the respiratory system as well.
The symptoms of pollen allergies
Pollens may affect the nasal passage and sinuses badly. Common symptoms associated with pollen allergies are listed below:
- Runny-nose
- Clogged nose
- Itchy throat
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Watery eyes
- Abdominal pain
What should I do if I have pollen allergy?
Antihistamines (anti-allergic medications), nasal sprays, eye drops and steroids are the common treatment methods for pollen allergies. Honey is also known to alleviate the suffering of the affected people. However, you must still take preventive measures; the top-most one is allergen avoidance especially during pollen season. Cover yourself when you go outside. You can always wear sun-glasses to avoid pollen’s contact with your eyes. You can drive your car keeping the windows closed. You must keep your pet outside your bedroom because it may accumulate pollen into its fur. Take bath immediately after coming back home from outside.
Believe it or not, you can simply avoid pollen allergy by avoiding the pollen itself. Keep a simple calendar to mark when your symptoms are worst, and check with local pollen advisory.