Allergic sneezing is the most common epidemic chronic disease today, and more than half a billion people on the planet suffer from it. Young people aged 15 to 25 are most at risk.
The flowering season begins with the first warmer days, and so do pollen allergies. Pollen particles are extremely small and there are approximately a million of them in one cubic meter of air. And while nature wakes up and rejoices, the number of inhabitants on the planet who suffer from some form of allergic reaction to pollen grows year-in year-out.
Allergies start from the end of February with the flowering of hazel, elm, birch... Grasses start blooming in April, and ragweed starts pollinating from July until October. How can we protect ourselves from or relieve pollen allergies?
‘There are numerous risk factors for allergic rhinitis, and that's why it is important to avoid allergens that cause problems. Therefore, people prone to allergies are recommended to stay indoors early in the morning or late in the afternoon, because most plants release pollen at that time of the day.
During the flowering season, avoid trips, riding a bicycle, and activities in nature. Hygiene measures, which include more frequent vacuuming, dusting, changing bed linen once a week, should be enhanced in apartments, and patients who use antihistamines should start the therapy in a timely manner’, Katarina Barudžija, B.Sc. Pharm, regional product manager for Rx medicines in Hemofarm advises.
It impairs the quality of life
Data from the World Health Organization warn that every third child and every fifth adult in the world suffers from some form of allergy. Typical symptoms of allergic sneezing include itch and red eyes, runny nose, stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing.
Allergic sneezing is mainly associated with pollen, but the same symptoms can also be caused by allergens such as mold, dust, pet hair and feathers, as well as dust mites and irritating fibers from fabrics, carpets, etc.
‘The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has published the information that allergies are the sixth-leading cause of chronic diseases in the USA today. Allergic rhinitis and nasal allergies significantly impair the quality of life, and the severity of such ailments can also significantly reduce the working ability.
Despite this, as many as 90% of patients with allergic diseases are untreated or insufficiently and inadequately treated. Therefore, it is important to visit an allergist, and if necessary, a dermatovenerologist, otorhinolaryngologist, pulmonologist, as soon as the first symptoms appear’, our interlocutor emphasises.
Do not ignore symptoms
As few as 2% of people had an allergy to pollen three decades ago, and presently as many as 1/3 of the planet's population suffers from this problem. The latest research predicts that more than 50% of Europeans will suffer from allergies by 2025.
‘If you have allergic rhinitis, it is important to start the treatment as soon as possible. Untreated or poorly managed allergic rhinitis leads to the appearance of other diseases, such as chronic sinusitis or allergic asthma. Standard therapy for pollen allergy includes medications that relieve symptoms. oral antihistamines block the histamine that the body releases in contact with the allergen and thus relieve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
Decongestants reduce the swelling of blood vessels in the nose, thereby reducing redness and freeing the airways. Saline solution relieves nasal irritation and symptoms accompanying allergic rhinitis’, Katarina Barudžija explains.
Our interlocutor points out that the medicines are most effective when they are administered as a prevention, that is, before the onset of the symptoms of seasonal allergic sneezing.
‘In order to be ready for the spring pollen season, it is advisable to start antihistamine therapy minimum one month before the beginning of the pollen season. If you haven't done this, i tis mandatory to start the administration of medicines as soon as the first symptoms of pollen allergy appear’, Katarina Barudžija, B.Sc.Pharm. from the Hemofarm says.
