Spring months are a season when allergic diseases, which affect approximately 30-40% of the world's population, flare up. Pollen, the main cause of spring allergies, can be dispersed for kilometers by wind. These pollens not only enter the mouth and nose through the air we breathe and reach the lungs, but also cause allergic effects on the skin and eyes.
The complaints of people with pollen allergies increase with the spring season. The first pollen to appear in March is tree pollen. Grass pollens appear in May and June, and weed pollens appear after July. Pollen allergy is called spring allergy because pollens appear in the spring and cause allergies. The most common allergic diseases caused by pollen are; Allergic rhinitis (hay fever), allergic conjunctivitis (eye allergy) and allergic asthma.
Symptoms
Attacks, one after another. Sneezing 10-20 times, copious amounts of water and a runny nose are the most common symptoms. Over time, nasal congestion becomes evident as a result of edema of the mucosa covering the inside of the nose. Frequent awakenings due to nasal congestion at night negatively affect the quality of life by causing sleep disorders and distraction. Frequent sneezing during the day, nasal itching, and burning and watery eyes cause serious concentration disorders. School success in children decreases
Nasal itching is quite typical. A horizontal line forms in the lower 1/3 of the nose due to constant itching of the nose and pushing the tip of the nose upwards to relieve the itching (allergic salute). Burning, watering, redness and itching may occur in the eyes. A darkening of the skin color called "allergic shiner" occurs under the eyes, accompanied by lines under the eyes (Dennie Morgan lines). Sometimes discharge or itching may be felt in the palate and nasal passages. Asthma symptoms such as cough, wheezing and difficulty breathing may be observed.
Spring allergy can often be confused with a cold. If the patient's complaints begin in the spring and summer months and last longer than 2-3 weeks, do not improve, and especially if there is a family history of allergies, spring allergy should be suspected. If one of the parents has an allergy, the child may develop allergies. While the probability of death is 30-50%, if both parents have allergies, the probability can increase to 70%.
Diagnosis
Some tests are performed to make the diagnosis. . The most important of these tests are skin allergy tests. Testing with the right technique and the right allergens is very important for diagnosis. For skin testing, it is necessary to be exposed to at least two pollen seasons, so it is appropriate to perform the test after the age of 2. Spring allergies can cause conditions such as frequent sinusitis, frequent ear infections, and enlarged adenoids. One in five children with spring allergies may develop asthma in the future. Therefore, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important.
Treatment
In the treatment of spring allergy; Prevention, drug treatment and vaccine treatment are applied.
Protection:The first step of treatment is to stay away from factors that trigger the symptoms.
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Pollen exposure during the day. You should not go out and open the windows in the early hours of the morning when the air is most dense.
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When going out, sunglasses should be worn to prevent contact with pollen.
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After playing outside, the child should take a shower and change his clothes.
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Air conditioners with pollen filters should be used in the house and car.
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Spring allergy. Since children with diabetes are extremely sensitive to odors, it is recommended to wash the laundry with perfume-free detergent and use odorless products for house cleaning.
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Allergic diseases are more common in children exposed to cigarette smoke and their symptoms are more severe.
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Allergic diseases are more common in children exposed to cigarette smoke.
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Medication: Since measures to protect against environmental allergens alone will not be sufficient, drug treatment must also be applied. Various medications are recommended according to the patient's findings. It should be known that it takes 1-2 weeks for the drugs to take effect.
Vaccination: If sufficient results are not obtained with the drugs and the patient's criteria are met, vaccination treatment (immunotherapy) can be performed against the allergen to which the patient is sensitive. Vaccine treatment, which aims to regulate the immune system by giving the child allergens to which he is sensitive in increasing doses, causes the body to become damaged after a while. It ensures that it naturally responds to allergens. Sublingual vaccines are started after the age of 3, and subcutaneous injection vaccines are started after the age of 5.
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