POLLEN ALLERGY
The signs and symptoms of pollen allergy are familiar to many:
.Itching eyes, nose, and throat
.Allergic shiners (dark circles under the eyes caused by restricted blood flow near the sinuses)
.Watering eyes
In people who are not allergic to pollen, the mucus in the nasal passages simply moves these foreign particles to the throat, where they are swallowed or coughed out. But something different happens to a pollen-sensitive person.
As soon as the allergy-causing pollen lands on the mucous membranes of the nose, a chain reaction occurs that leads the mast cells in these tissues to release histamine. Fluids escape through these expanded vessel walls, which causes the nasal passages to swell and results in nasal congestion.
Histamine can also cause itching, irritation, and excess mucus production. Other chemicals, including prostaglandins and leukotrienes, also contribute to allergic symptoms.
Some people with pollen allergy develop asthma, a serious respiratory condition.
HOW IS POLLEN ALLERGY DIAGNOSED?
People with a pollen allergy may at first suspect they have a summer cold - but the “cold” lingers on. When it appears that the symptoms are caused by an allergy, the patient should see a physician who understands the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. If the patient’s medical history indicates that the symptoms recur at the same time each year, the physician will work under the hypothesis that a seasonal allergen like pollen is involved. The doctor will also examine the nasal mucous membranes, which in persons with allergic conditions often appear swollen and pale or bluish.
Skin Tests
To find out which types of pollen are responsible, skin testing may be recommended using pollens commonly found in the local area. The size of the wheal can provide the physician with an important reaction diagnostic clue, but a positive reaction does not prove that a particular pollen is the cause of a patient’s symptoms. Although such a reaction indicates that IgE antibody to a specific pollen is present in the skin, respiratory symptoms do not necessarily result.
Blood Tests
Skin testing is not advisable in some patients such as those with certain skin conditions. Skin testing remains the most sensitive and least costly diagnostic tool.
HOW IS POLLEN ALLERGY TREATED?
There are three general approaches to the treatment of pollen allergy; avoidance of the allergen, medication to relieve symptoms, and immunotherapy or injection treatments (commonly called allergy shots). Although no cure for pollen allergy has yet been found, one of these strategies or a combination of them can provide various degrees of relief from allergy symptoms.
Avoidance
Because relocating is not a reliable solution, allergy specialists strongly discourage this approach.
If persons with pollen allergy must work outdoors, they can wear face masks designed to filter pollen out of the air reaching their nasal passages. The seashore, for example, may be an effective retreat for many with pollen allergies.
Air conditioners and filters. Also effective are various types of air-filtering devices made with fiberglass or electrically charged plates. Very small air cleaners cannot remove dust and pollen - and no air purifier can prevent viral or bacterial diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, or tuberculosis. Ozone can irritate the nose and airways of persons with allergies, especially asthmatics, and can increase the allergy symptoms. Other kinds of air filters such as HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters do not release ozone into the air.
Avoiding Irritants. During periods of high pollen levels, people with pollen allergy should try to avoid unnecessary exposure to irritants such as dust, insect sprays, tobacco smoke, air pollution, and fresh tar or paint. Any of these can aggravate the symptoms of pollen allergy.