By Elizabeth McQuillan
The lack of warmth and sunshine of late in Scotland will be a blessing for the one-in-five people who suffer the curse of pollen-related allergies. Not restricted to high summer, from spring until autumn plants and trees naturally release their pollen into the atmosphere – and cause the sorry few to sniffle, sneeze and weep.
Grass is most usually blamed as the culprit, but there are as many pollens as there are plants, and it might be a very specific type that triggers an allergy. June brings with it pollens from oak, pine or lime trees, fields of oilseed rape and even the humble nettle.
An allergy to more than one pollen means a prolonged period of looking like a Belisha beacon and feeling like the miserable Askit figure used in the ads some years ago (the one who "fights the miseries").
Allergies in general are on the increase, with an estimated 15 million people in the UK affected – which is four times the number that existed 20 years ago. Children seem to be suffering most of all, with four-in-ten schoolchildren deemed to have at least one allergic condition.
The offending substance, called an allergen, is often harmless enough in itself, but the body has an abnormal response. In the attempt to rid itself of the invading organism, the immune system releases chemical "mediators", which cause tissue to become inflamed.
Some mediators, such as histamine, cause a quick reaction – resulting in the trademark sneezing, an itchy and runny nose, as well as the weeping red-eye of allergic conjuctivitis. Less well known is that slower-acting mediators then cause a blocked or stuffy nose that can then result in headaches, stuffiness and difficulty in sleeping.
There is no cure for the problem – but, with proper management and a little trial-and-error, symptoms can be avoided or reduced:
1 – Identify the allergen. For a severe allergy, your GP should be able to refer you to an allergy specialist. Allergy UK has an accredited pharmacy allergy screening service in association with the National Pharmacy Association. Allergy UK-trained pharmacists can diagnose triggers, then recommend the right over-the-counter medications for your specific allergy type.
2 – Avoid the trigger. Keep windows shut if external allergens are the problem and consider installing air-conditioning with integral air filtration and which will act to decrease air humidity. Air filter systems are useful to reduce the amount of circulating pollen in a room.
3 – Plan ahead. Start using appropriate medication in advance of the allergy being triggered. A sodium cromoglicate nasal spray, for example, willl only be effective if you start using it a few weeks before the reaction is triggered. This is a mast cell stabiliser and works by discouraging the autoimmune response that causes the release of histamine.
4 – Get the right medication sorted. Conventional medicine uses antihistamines (available over-the-counter and on prescription) that block the action of histamine which is produced in response to an allergen. Nasal sprays exist that will coat the mucous membranes so they don’t react to foreign substances, and decongestants and steroids are often prescribed.
5 – Follow the dosage. For any of the allergy drugs to be effective, it is important to ensure that the chemical levels are kept at optimum levels within the bloodstream – so follow instructions to the letter.
6 – Technique is everything. It sounds silly, but most sufferers scoosh the stuff up their nose and think that's the job done. However, it is important to tilt the head forward and to the side you are spraying, and only then spray. Remain there for 30 seconds to allow the drug to coat the affected area and access your sinuses.
7 – Homeopathic options. Nasal sprays can work well, and one clinical study (Weiser et al, 1999) investigating their efficacy in comparison with conventional intranasal cromolyn sodium therapy demonstrated that the homeopathic alternative had produced a nearly complete remission of symptoms. Desensitising – where actual allergy-causing agents are diluted homoeopathically – can also given in such a way as to desensitise the patient.
8 – Boost your nutrition at home with beta carotene (soothes irritated mucous membrane), bioflavonoids and essential fatty acids such as evening primrose, borage and flaxseed oil (potent anti-inflammatories) – and ensure you are getting a full complement of B vitamins to help support adrenal function and strengthen the immune system.
9 – Desensitisation immunotherapy involves being given tablets or injections containing minute amounts of the offending pollen, with the dose being increased gradually over a three-year period, to induce immune tolerance and cure the allergy.
10 – Sublingual grass pollen immunotherapy. This is available in the UK for people with positive skin-prick tests or specific immunoglobin E (IgE) blood tests for allergy to timothy grass. The therapy is expensive – your GP may chase you – and needs to be used over successive hay fever seasons to become effective.
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