- January 22, 2025
When, regardless of the weather, we sneeze, rush and generally feel bad, and it definitely does not look like an infection, we can consider whether this is not an allergy by chance. If such symptoms intensify especially during specific periods of the year, i.e. they start in spring and intensify in summer, we may suspect that it is an allergy to plant pollen. Depending on the period in which the symptoms are most annoying, whether it is the beginning of May or maybe more so around July, it will be an allergy to other plants. If you have an allergy, you should read the pollen calendar in order to be able to counteract the symptoms before they get worse.
The causes of the allergy are not fully known, but the mechanisms are already so. The body is taught to defend itself against bacteria and viruses by sending white blood cells for relief and activating defense systems. With allergies, apparently harmless factors such as pollen, liquids or substances contained in food are confused by these defence systems with infection. The organism attacks them, provoking inflammatory states.
In Poland the most common allergies are grass pollen and linden seeds. With the advent of spring, flowers and trees release flowers and these produce fine pollen, which we inhale unknowingly with the air. Contact with pollen cannot be avoided, but a healthy person's body will not react to it. If we suffer from an allergy, any contact with the particles will trigger the activity of white blood cells, and the body will react in the same way as when we are tired of a cold. Inflammation can appear in the bronchi and then we are talking about bronchial asthma on an allergic medium.
If you have the following symptoms, it is very likely that you are allergic to pollen:
It seems that an ordinary rhinitis is not yet a tragedy. Even the constant twisting of the nose and the need to carry wipes at any time of day or night do not seem to be such a problem, if they only occur a few months a year. However, if we realize that untreated allergy leads to the development of asthma, the matter becomes very serious. Allergy to pollen, also known as seasonal rhinitis, is a common factor in the development of asthma. Because the immune system is overloaded, recurrent inflammations of the throat and sinuses can occur, especially in transition periods. Asthma is nothing more than chronic bronchitis, in this case on an allergic background.
Since these symptoms should not be underestimated, it is necessary to refer first to an appropriate allergologist. There, after skin tests or blood tests, we will receive an appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Before a visit to a specialist, you will need to carefully observe the symptoms and preferably keep a diary. When the rhinitis gets worse, at what time of day and year is the worst. Before the sneezing attack, did we undertake any activities? Were we in a new place? Whether we were outside the city and whether we paid attention to when specific attacks of rhinitis occur. This will help to guide your doctor to the right track, as allergies in different people may manifest themselves slightly differently, as well as their causes may be different. Hay fever is quite easy to diagnose, but it is much harder to determine which specific plant causes the worst symptoms. Determining this will allow us to avoid areas where a given species grows, or give us time to prepare for the pollination period.
In case of increased exposure to an allergenic agent, it is advisable to buy medicines that alleviate symptoms. On the market there are various agents blocking the histamine receptor, which appears in the body during inflammation and causes sneezing, among other things. It is worth paying attention that these drugs do not cause drowsiness, because others may reduce our comfort of life.
As with almost all allergies, you can also opt for desensitization. This is a time-consuming process and consists of administering small doses of the allergen in the form of drops (in the case of children) or in an injection. In this way the body is somehow instructed to react to specific substances. Anaesthesia is ordered by a doctor on the basis of an interview, allergic tests and after assessing how effective this procedure will be in our clinic. This is not a solution that works at all, but it can bring relief from symptoms in the most severe cases. It is important to remember to take the dose at appropriate intervals, so this therapy is recommended especially for children and teenagers, and even more so for those who are at risk of developing asthma.
