Allergens are microscopic substances that fly in the air and cannot be seen with the eye, and they reach the body through respiration and cause allergic reactions.
What is Allergic Rhinitis?
Allergic rhinitis, commonly used as hay fever, spring fever It occurs as a result of the perception of pollen or fungi in the air we breathe outdoors, mostly in spring, as a foreign substance (allergen) by some people's immune systems and overreacting to them.
Allergens are microscopic substances that fly in the air and cannot be seen with the naked eye, and they reach the body through respiration and cause allergic reactions. When pollens or fungi enter the body through respiration, if the person has an allergic body, the "histamine" substance secreted in the body causes inflammation of the respiratory tract, eyes, nasal membranes and lower respiratory tract, and sometimes the skin. If allergic rhinitis occurs in the spring, it is defined as “seasonal”, if it occurs all year, it is defined as perennial (year-round) allergic rhinitis.
Who Gets Allergic Rhinitis?
Allergic rhinitis can occur at any age. Although it is most common in the age of 18-25, it can also be seen at any age after newborn and infancy. Today, as environmental conditions deteriorate, the age limit has disappeared. But for the allergy in question to occur in the newborn period, the baby must first encounter pollen during at least one spring period and become sensitized. In our country, it is seen at a rate of approximately 20 percent in children and adults.
What Causes Allergic Rhinitis?
Seasonal allergic rhinitis mostly occurs due to tree, meadow and grass pollen flying in the air. Pollen in the area where the person lives determines the occurrence and severity of the disease. Therefore, patients frequently encounter situations where the complaints disappear or, on the contrary, increase after moving. In dry and windy weather, the amount of pollen is more intense and an increase in allergic rhinitis symptoms can be seen.
In year-round allergic rhinitis, the causes are mostly allergy sources in the house such as house dust mites, mold fungus, cockroaches, pet dander. Pollens are male gametes with an average diameter of 5-40 microns, which are responsible for the reproduction of grass, trees and flowers. It is known g These male gametes must reach the female organ of the plants. This happens either through the air with the wind or through insects and flies. For this reason, clinical findings of pollen occur in spring, which is the breeding season when these plants bloom. Pollens spread by the wind are responsible for allergies and they can spread not only where the plant is located, but even kilometers away by the wind. The probability of these causing an allergic reaction varies depending on the genetic predisposition of the person and the allergenicity of that pollen. Among these 3 main pollen groups, the plant with the highest allergenicity is the grass-grass pollen called "Graminea". Often, tree pollen such as birch, hazelnut, redwood is pollinated at the beginning of spring; meadow-grass pollen such as meadow bunch grass, weed grass, finger grass in spring and summer; Weed pollens such as wormwood, wormwood, and sticky grass also appear in the autumn months.
What are the Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis?
The most common spring allergy symptoms are;
- Ricken eyes
- Itching
- Redness
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Congested nose
- Anasal discharge
- Cough, sore throat
- Itching and redness on the palate and skin.
Protection from Allergic Rhinitis
We said allergy is one of the main causes of both hay fever and asthma. Allergy can be brought under control with the help of many drugs, increasing the quality of life and reducing the problems. But the basis of treatment is always to be protected from the cause of allergy, namely the allergen. For this reason, it should not be said "how can I be protected from allergens, my whole environment is covered with them". He should know that his complaints such as stenosis and cough are increasing and he should consult his doctor before the season and if necessary, his treatment should be rearranged. Correct and successful asthma treatment; In addition to preventing future lung function loss, it reduces the frequency of asthma attacks, emergency hospital admissions, and ensures less side effects due to high-dose drug use.
How to Avoid Pollen?
Pollens are the most common are outdoor allergens. They can also be indoor allergens, as they can travel many miles in the air. Therefore, pollen that is not in the place where the patient with pollen allergy lives can also cause rhinitis and asthma attacks.
- Keep the windows closed during periods of high pollen. Do not open the windows of your car.
- Use ventilation systems and air filters inside the house.
- Reduce outdoor activities. Do not go out, especially between the hours of 10.00 – 16.00 when pollen is high.
- Avoid exercising in places where pollen is high.
- Do not stay in green areas as much as possible.
- If you go out, go home. Change your clothes and take a shower as soon as you enter. Be careful not to take off your clothes in the bedroom.
- Use a mask to protect your mouth and nose.
- Carpets in the whole house, starting from the bedrooms, Dust-repellent home textile products, furniture upholstery should be removed and replaced with synthetic, anti-allergic dust-free alternatives if necessary. groceries should not be kept in the sleeping room, toys and clothes should be kept in closed cabinets.
- Use anti-allergic covers for bedding (pillows, duvets, duvet covers) that prevent mite contact to a great extent.
- The rooms are frequently equipped with FIEPA filters. Clean with brooms.
- Wash the bedding at a temperature above 60 degrees every week.
- Patients with house dust allergy should not be around while cleaning the house, use a mask if you have to do it yourself.
- Turn on the aspirators while cooking, do not dry the washed laundry indoors.
- Do not use carpet washing and humidifiers. Never forget that if the carpets have been washed, they should be dried very well.
- The effectiveness of acaricidal drugs is very short-lived.
- Instead of humidifying the room where every patient with allergies is, nasal drops containing saline are applied to both nostrils before going to bed. and by using sprays or washing with plenty of water, the allergen load should be reduced. Measures should be taken against mold growth.
- You can start by making the necessary maintenance and changes for molds in shower trays on wet floors, bathroom covers, leaks in water installations.
- Moist areas in the house, repair the cracks that cause moisture by repairing the plumbing with water leaks.
- Do not feed plants in the house, take precautions for your old books.
- Have the air conditioners serviced regularly. . Do not use humidifiers.
- Cockroach allergy is seen in sensitive individuals in unhygienic, humid and heated places such as buildings, dormitories, schools, etc.
- Be careful and never leave food open outside.
- Disinfest the houses and, if possible, the entire building.
- Store garbage in tightly closed bins and take care to dispose of it every day.
- Provide control inside the house where cockroaches can enter and exit.
How is the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis done?
Diagnosis is mainly made by medical history. In addition, when symptoms are seen, the diagnosis is confirmed by performing allergy tests through skin and blood.
It is not possible to completely avoid and be completely protected from allergenic substances. However, the accumulation that will cause an allergic reaction can be prevented by protecting it, albeit partially. In most patients, complaints can thus be brought under control. Nasal washing is a recommended auxiliary method. It reduces the number of allergens that come into contact with the nose and minimizes the need for medication. The first thing to do in the treatment of allergic diseases is to protect the person from the allergen to which they are sensitive. In addition, there are highly effective drugs that control the disease and vaccine therapy that can cure the disease.
Drug therapy: The second step is treatment. Today, there are effective drugs that control the symptoms of the disease and enable patients to continue their lives in a healthy way. The type of drugs used varies according to the symptoms of the disease. For example, antiallergic drugs and nasal sprays are used in nasal flu, and mouth sprays that expand the airways and control the disease are used in asthma. Although drug therapy does not provide a definitive solution, it helps alleviate symptoms, increase the quality of life of patients, and help them to continue their lives as healthy people. Especially in pollen allergy, very successful results are obtained with vaccine treatment. So much so that the patient's complaints can be reduced by 60 - 70 percent with vaccine treatment. However, since it is a risky treatment method, vaccines must be administered by allergy specialists trained in this field and in environments where emergency intervention can be performed. Otherwise, vaccines may cause serious side effects, up to a severe allergic picture called 'anaphylactic shock', instead of providing benefits.
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