Seasonal allergies
natural remedies help to make allergy season a little easier
A recent research shows that more than 50 million Americans have allergies, or one in every five, according to the National Institutes of Health. Allergic rhinitis (inflammation in the nasal area) is the most common allergic disease, affecting at least 20% to 25% of the population. Allergy ranks as the 6th leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S, costing almost $6 billion in workplace productivity, annually. Direct health care costs of allergic rhinitis are increasing each year.
Allergy is an adverse immune reaction of your body to a foreign substance; a protein or allergen such as pollen or pet dander; that enters or comes in contact with the body through the environment, normally harmless to the non-allergic individual, otherwise.
The two main types of allergies are seasonal and perennial.
1. Seasonal allergies like hay fever are more common in the spring and fall when plant pollination begins. Trees and grass cause most symptoms in the spring, while ragweed is responsible for the majority of autumn symptoms.
2. Perennial allergies are usually year-round problems. Common triggers for perennial allergies include mould spores, pet dander and dust mites.
When foreign substances such as pollen cause allergic reactions, they are called allergens. Almost anything can be an allergen for someone. Allergens contain protein, which is often regarded as a constituent of the food we eat. In fact it is an organic compound, containing hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, which form an important part of living organisms.
Allergens cause cells in your body to release chemicals known as mediators, which trigger allergy symptoms. These mediators include Histamine; it is the mediator that stimulates mucus production and causes redness, swelling and inflammation; and Prostaglandins which constricts airways and enlarges blood vessels.
An allergic person’s Immune System believes allergens to be damaging and so produces a special type of antibody (IgE) to attack the invading material. This leads other blood cells (i.e. mast cells) to release further chemicals (including histamine) which together cause the symptoms of an allergic response.
House dust Mites, Grass and Tree Pollens, Pet skin flakes or Dander (Cat, Dog, Horse, and Hamster), Fungal or Mould spores, Food (Milk, Egg, Wheat, Soya, Seafood, Fruit and Nuts), Wasp and Bee Stings, Medication and Latex, Nickel, Rubber, Preservatives and Chemical Resins are the most common allergens.
Less common allergens include nuts, fruits and latex. There are some non-protein allergens which include drugs such as penicillin. For these to cause an allergic response they need to be bound to a protein once they are in the body.
The most common symptoms of allergy are sneezing , runny nose; itchy eyes, lips, throat and ears; severe wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, sinus problems, a sore palate and nettle-like rash, swelling, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, an increase in secretions and hives or rashes.
Minimizing or preventing the allergy symptoms so as to help the allergy sufferers maintain a normal and healthy lifestyle and routine is the main goal for treating allergic rhinitis. And what better way than to avoid what causes the symptoms? If you can’t, then medicines are the only way to treat the allergy. But it is necessary that allergies should be treated keeping in mind distinctive symptoms.
Natural remedies are the safest way to prevent and treat with allergies and sinus conditions. Following are the selected products for allergy relief.