The spring blooming season is lovely but it is also the time of the year when those who are allergic to pollen are most affected by hay fever.
What is hay fever?
Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, happens like any other allergic reaction when the body's immune system mistakes the pollen as a harmful substance and releases antibodies and antihistamine to fight it.
Symptoms of hay fever include:
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Itchy throat
- Itchy eyes and nose
- Facial pain caused by blocked sinuses
However, certain symptoms may differ depending on the pollen substance that the patient is allergic to. Asthma patients may experience more wheezing and breathlessness along with other symptoms of hay fever. Despite its name, hay fever does not typically cause fever.
Hay fever treatment
The best approach to manage an allergy is to identify the trigger and avoid it. Doctors may recommend allergy testing to help patients identify the substances that they are allergic to.
However, hay fever can often be treated with over-the-counter medications.
Here are a few of the treatment options available:
- Antihistamines
Antihistamines act to lower the amount of histamines in the body to reduce sneezing, sniffling and itching. Antihistamines can however cause drowsiness.
- Decongestants
Decongestants are sometimes used to shrink the blood vessels in the nasal passageway so as to reduce the swelling symptoms.
- Nasal spray decongestants
Nasal spray decongestants may be more effective in treating the swelling in the nasal passageway without the side effects caused by the oral antihistamines.
- Steroid nasal sprays
Nasal corticosteroids are often a treatment prescribed to treat inflammation caused by hay fever. Common examples of the prescription include fluticasone (Flonase), fluticasone (Veramyst), mometasone (Nasonex) and beclomethasone (Beconase).
- Immunotherapy
This treatment can provide long-term relief by gradually desensitizing the immune system to the triggering allergens.
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