What is hay fever?
Hay fever is an allergy to pollen grains of grasses, plants and trees. These pollen grains are also known as pollen. Once you breathe them or get in your eyes, you get complaints. For example, a runny nose, sneezing and burning eyes.
Hay fever Complaints originated in the heyday of the plants. The main flowering periods are:
- Grasses: May to August.
- Trees: from February to April.
People with hay fever have an innate tendency to be allergic to pollen. Not everyone with that talent also gets real complaints. Most people first get hay fever symptoms when they are between 15 and 25 years.
Hay fever has nothing to do with hay or fever. The name has ever arisen because the symptoms often occur in the hay period.
What are the symptoms of hay fever?
People with hay fever often experience in the hay fever season:
- runny nose;
- stuffy nose;
- much sneezing;
- itchy, burning eyes;
- many tears;
- swollen eyelids;
- dry throat;
- shortness of breath;
- tiredness;
- cough;
- headache.
The symptoms usually disappear with proper treatment against hay fever.
Hay fever is often accompanied by asthma.
How do you know if you have hay fever?
From the complaints that you have a physician can usually deduce whether you have hay fever. Actually it is never needed for further research.
Do you want to know which pollen you are allergic? Then the doctor may do an allergy skin test. You will get a number of substances administered through injections. If the skin is red and thick are you allergic to the substance.
How can you prevent that you are getting hay fever symptoms?
You can prevent hay fever symptoms by as little as possible to breathe in pollen. Some tips that may help:
- Go to the outside when there is little pollen is in the air. For example, just after a rainstorm is a good time. On sunny, windy days there are just a lot of pollen in the air. Put sunglasses on when you're going out on a sunny day.
- Leave windows and doors closed as much as possible so that it receives no pollen. For windows and doors can be placed screens.
- Hang laundry during the hay fever season in outdoor conditions. The pollen arrive in your clothes.
- Dress up not in the bedroom. The pollen in your clothes will then rightly in the bedroom.
- Also take into account your hay fever when you book a vacation. For example, choose a destination by the sea or in the mountains. There are less pollens in the air. You can also go outside of the hay fever season on vacation, so in the fall or winter.
How to treat hay fever?
Hay fever symptoms can get drugs. The allergy will not disappear, only the symptoms are less severe.
For example, agents that prevent you from getting an attack. These resources must be used daily. It usually nasal sprays for nasal congestion. Some brands also have eye drops and an eye ointment.
Once you have a hay fever attack, you can suppress the fast with antihistamines. These medications make sure that the complaints are less or disappear. Antihistamines exist as a tablet, nasal spray, eye drops or ointment.
Discuss with your doctor which medicines are best for you.
Does treatment with drugs not, you can opt for immunotherapy.