Spring season, which is starting to make itself felt, makes most of us happy. However, for those with allergies, springtime pollens flying all over the place; runny nose, sneezing, redness and itching in the eyes mean sleepless nights and fatigue that continues for the day.
Complaints such as runny nose, itching, congestion, sneezing and itching in the eyes, which occur due to inhalation of pollen, especially in the spring months, in people with an allergic nature are called pollen allergy, and it is also called hay fever.
Pollens, also known as pollen, are actually the reproductive seeds of flowers and millions of them are released into the environment we live in every year. They are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Pollen, as we know, is spread by the wind or by bees and insects. The colorful and fragrant plants around us, especially the pollen of ornamental plants, are sticky and heavy, carried by insects, and are not common in the air. People with allergies can only complain if they get too close to these plants. Keeping patients away from these plants prevents the occurrence of complaints.
Pollens that are important in the formation of pollen allergy or hay fever are pollens that are common in the air and spread by the wind. The pollen of non-flowering green plants is carried by the winds. It is not necessary for the patient to be close to these plants as these pollens can be carried many kilometers away by the wind. Sometimes the pollen of a tree can spread over an area of more than 150 kilometers and may affect allergic people within this area. Therefore, it is very difficult to protect. We may not see the trees and plants that we are allergic to, but unfortunately, their pollen is in the air. That’s why people with allergies say that their complaints increase a lot in windy weather.
HOW DOES POLEN ALLERGY ( Hay Fever ) DEVELOP IN ADULTS ?
Complaints such as runny nose, itching, congestion, sneezing and itching in the eyes, which occur due to inhalation of pollen, especially in the spring months, in people with an allergic nature are called pollen allergy, and it is also called hay fever.
With the arrival of spring, complaints of runny nose, itching, congestion, sneezing, itching, redness in the eyes begin. Symptoms of asthma such as cough, shortness of breath, wheezing may occur over time.
Pollen spreading period of each plant differs. We can divide the pollen emitted from the plants we see in nature as meadow pollen, tree pollen, and weed pollen. Even if the climatic conditions change every year and depending on the plant structure of the region:
Tree pollens: in February-April
Grassland pollen: in May-July
Weed pollens : It is considered to be airborne in august – october.
Allergic response, which is valid in pollen allergy as well as in other allergic diseases, is an impaired immunity that occurs with the contribution of a genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Allergy is an unwanted and excessive response of the body’s immune system to substances called allergens such as pollen entering our body from the external environment.
Pollen is perceived by our body as a foreign substance, and depending on the excessive response it gives to these foreign substances, the complaints of runny nose, itching, congestion, sneezing, itching, redness in the eyes begin.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF POLEN ALLERGY IN ADULTS?
Spring season, which makes itself felt, makes most of us happy. However, for those with allergies, springtime pollens flying all over the place; runny nose, sneezing, redness and itching in the eyes mean sleepless nights and fatigue that continues for the day.
Pollen allergy that occurs with the start of the pollen season can lead to many more complaints. Especially in patients with pollen allergy for many years, many complaints arise due to damage to other organs.
What are these:
– Postnasal drip is said as phlegm in the back of the throat, which is not passed by the patients, especially.
-Cough occurs over time with post-nasal drip in patients whose complaints continue for many years
-Fatigue is one of the most important complaints in patients whose sleep patterns are constantly disrupted.
-Nose bleeding can be seen as a result of the damage to the nose.
-Learning difficulty is more common in many patients with concentration disorders, especially in childhood
-Eye watering, itching and conjunctivitis develop due to the damage caused by allergies in and around the eye.
– Frequent sinusitis is due to damage to the sinuses along with allergic rhinitis in the respiratory tract
– Halitosis is always associated with nasal discharge, especially in patients who breathe through the mouth at night.
-Decreased hearing is seen with allergic rhinitis due to the damage done by the allergy on the ear.
– Taste and smell disorders are seen together with nasal congestion.
– Itching in the throat and frequently recurring pharyngitis develop due to mouth breathing.
-Tooth decay is more common in adults as it is in childhood, depending on mouth breathing.
– Shortness of breath and wheezing are seen when asthma complaints begin due to allergic rhinitis affecting the lower airways.
-Snoring is one of the most common complaints especially in patients who breathe through their mouth at night. In the following years, it may appear with cessation of breathing during sleep.
WHAT TO DO IF ADULTS HAVE POLEN ALLERGY?
With the arrival of spring, complaints of runny nose, itching, congestion, sneezing, itching, redness in the eyes begin. Symptoms of asthma such as cough, shortness of breath, wheezing may occur over time.
Adult patients with pollen allergy symptoms should see an allergist. If you have pollen allergy symptoms, they should be examined and allergy tests should be done to make the diagnosis.
Pollen allergy, which is one of the allergic diseases, is effective on many organs as in other diseases. When the complaints of runny nose, congestion and sneezing begin, ENT doctors are often visited, but the disease is not limited to the nose and throat. When itching and watering in the eyes, we go to ophthalmologists, but the allergy will not be limited to our eyes. When wheezing develops, shortness of breath is followed by chest diseases with the diagnosis of asthma or by dermatology for accompanying eczema atopic dermatitis complaints. This is why it is very important to diagnose and treat allergic diseases by allergy specialists.
As with all allergic diseases, if the correct diagnosis is made, the symptoms of pollen allergy can be controlled with the right drugs and there is no need to go to many doctors. Allergists find out which allergens they are allergic to and how to treat them and whether allergy shots are needed.
IF YOU HAVE POLEN ALLERGY, HOW SHOULD WE PREPARE GOING TO THE DOCTOR?
If you have complaints of runny nose, itching, congestion and sneezing with the emergence of pollen in spring, it is necessary to determine whether these complaints are allergic or not. If you have decided to go to an allergist for the diagnosis of your complaints compatible with pollen allergy, we will try to give you information on how to prepare
Should I go to an Allergy Specialist for Pollen Allergy
Allergists are very experienced in diagnosing pollen allergy along with other allergic diseases. and doctors who receive special training on this subject and who are also internal medicine specialists. For this reason, it is useful to go to an allergist if possible.
When you go to allergy specialists, it will be diagnosed whether your complaints are allergic or related to other diseases. For example, these complaints of some of the patients with nasal congestion may be due to underactivity of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). The importance of treating thyroid-related disease is to be explained. Allergists are also internists.
You Shouldn’t Stop Some Medicines Before Going to the Doctor for Allergic Rhinitis
If you have decided to go to the doctor for pollen allergy and if possible, you should stop taking allergy medications, cough and cold medications, antidepressants, some antihistamines, if possible. . For the diagnosis of Pollen Allergy, allergy testing may be required, and unfortunately, these drugs will also affect the results of the allergy test, so these drugs should be discontinued at least 1 week before asking the doctor. Nasal sprays and inhalers do not affect the allergy test. It does not need to be cut. In addition, you do not need to stop the blood pressure medications, thyroid or diabetes medications used by the patient for your other diseases. If you are using antibiotics, you do not need to stop.
No Need to Fast
There is usually no need to fast for the tests required for the diagnosis of Pollen Allergy. Therefore, it is beneficial to come with breakfast.
HOW IS POLEN ALLERGY DIAGNOSED IN ADULTS?
Spring season, which makes itself felt, makes most of us happy. However, for those with allergies, springtime pollens flying all over the place; runny nose, sneezing, redness and itching in the eyes mean sleepless nights and fatigue that continues for the day.
Pollen allergy, which starts with the spring season in adults, is a serious health problem that affects both health and social life of individuals and impairs their quality of life. Pollen allergy is not only in the form of runny nose, itching and sneezing, but unfortunately it brings other health problems in the future. Adults with pollen allergy require allergy testing to be diagnosed. We tried to answer for you what should be done for the diagnosis of pollen allergy and how to do the tests
Why is the Diagnosis of Pollen Allergy in Adults Important?
A runny nose, congestion, itching, and back-to-back sneezing may not always be pollen. When you go to the allergy specialists, it will be diagnosed whether your complaints are allergic or related to other diseases. Once you are diagnosed with pollen allergy, your treatment will change and other diseases such as advanced asthma can be prevented. Therefore, it is important to diagnose pollen allergy.
What to Look for in the Examination for the Diagnosis of Adult Pollen Allergy?
The emergence of runny nose, congestion, itching and sneezing one after another at the same time each year due to the spread of pollen in the environment with the arrival of spring is important for pollen allergy
A careful examination for the diagnosis of pollen allergy in adults After the history is taken, a general examination of the patient should be made and an examination should be made in terms of other accompanying diseases. As asthma may be associated with pollen allergy, respiratory system examination, ear discharge may be sinusitis and pharyngitis, upper respiratory tract should be checked. Careful nasal examination should be done. It should also be examined in terms of eczema, which may be associated with pollen allergy.
Which Tests Are Used to Diagnose Pollen Allergy in Adults.
Some tests are done to diagnose pollen allergy in adults. The most important of these tests are allergy skin tests. Allergy tests can be done at any age, but for the diagnosis of pollen allergy, it can be done in all adults after 2-3 years of age. For allergy testing, skin prick tests are mostly preferred, but sometimes allergy tests can be done from blood in patients who cannot be tested. Skin tests give more accurate results.
Pollens should be evaluated one by one in patients whose complaints started with the spring months. It is extremely important for the allergy vaccines to be started to reveal the patient’s complaint with which pollen or allergen in the tests we perform while diagnosing pollen allergy. Therefore, allergy skin tests should be performed and evaluated by allergy specialists.
Apart from allergy test, sometimes snot analysis, blood test and respiratory function tests may be required in suspected allergic asthma.
Diagnosing Pollen Allergy in Adults Requires Experience
Adults with Pollen Allergy complaints are not diagnosed with just one test. Diagnosis is a condition that should be evaluated as a whole. Pollen allergy symptoms should be evaluated together with the history and allergy tests and other tests and a definitive diagnosis should be made. If there is incompatibility in the skin tests performed with the patient’s complaints, it is necessary to benefit from other tests and examinations. The allergens used in the diagnosis of Pollen Allergy and the positive response seen in the skin tests against these allergens are very important for the long-term treatment of the patient. Experience and education are very important in making this diagnosis and planning the treatment.
CAN POLEN ALLERGY BE TREATED IN ADULTS?
Pollen allergy, which starts with the spring season in adults, is a serious health problem that affects both health and social life of individuals and impairs their quality of life. Pollen allergy is not only in the form of runny nose, itching and sneezing, but unfortunately it brings other health problems in the future. Adults with pollen allergy require allergy testing to be diagnosed. Another important issue after being diagnosed with Pollen Allergy is how to treat it. In this article, we will try to give information about the treatment.
What should be done for the Treatment of Pollen Allergy in Adults?
As in all allergic diseases, there are many factors in pollen allergy, such as treatment and prevention, drug therapy, allergy vaccination, complementary therapy and education.
What is the Prevention Therapy in the Treatment of Pollen Allergy in Adults?
Since it occurs after contact with allergens to which we are sensitive in allergic diseases, prevention treatment in pollen allergy is carried out for the cause of the complaints. Which allergen we are sensitive to, we are protected against that allergen.
With the spread of pollen in the spring, complaints of runny nose, itching, congestion occur. Pollens that are important in the formation of pollen allergy or hay fever are pollens that are common in the air and spread by the wind. It is not necessary for the patient to be close to these plants as these pollens can be carried many kilometers away by the wind. Sometimes the pollen of a tree can spread over an area of 150 km and may affect allergic people in this area. Therefore, it is very difficult to protect. We may not see the trees and plants that we are allergic to, but unfortunately, their pollen is in the air. After the allergens responsible for pollen allergy are detected by allergy tests, less allergic rhinitis complaints occur and less medication is used thanks to the preventive measures against them.
It would be appropriate for people with pollen allergy to stay away from areas where greenery is very dense in spring, not to go to picnics, work in the garden, and avoid doing sports. It is important to wear sunglasses outside, take a shower when you come home, and ventilate your clothes outside the bedroom. Windows should be kept closed at night. Using an air filter at home can benefit from having a pollen filter in his car. Despite all these protection measures, it is difficult to stay away from pollen completely.
Adults with pollen allergies have very sensitive noses and therefore an overreaction to many chemicals. Especially detergents, deodorants and perfumes that we use abundantly in our daily life can cause sneezing, nasal discharge, itching complaints. It should be said that adult patients with pollen allergy should use cleaning materials such as odorless detergents and be careful when using sharp-smelling perfumes.
Drug Treatment in the Treatment of Pollen Allergy in Adults
Pollen allergy, which starts with the spring season in adults, is a serious health problem that affects both the health and social life of individuals and impairs their quality of life. Complaints such as runny nose, nasal itching, congestion and sneezing must be avoided. In Pollen Allergy, drug therapy, drugs that correct the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and drugs that improve it are used. Most of the drugs we will use for pollen allergy are to relieve complaints. When we stop the drugs we use for Pollen Allergy, the patient’s complaints often come back. Antihistamines, nasal steroids and leukotriene receptor antagonists are the main drug groups used.
Pollen allergy is sometimes not alone, and if there are other accompanying diseases, asthma or eczema, treatment should be started for these diseases as well.
Complaints such as urticaria can sometimes increase during pollen seasons. Especially in those with pollen allergy, urticarial rashes occur when patients eat fruit or vegetables, as sometimes there is a cross-reaction between pollen in fruit and vegetables. Although the main cause of this picture, which we call oral allergy syndrome, is pollen allergy, there are complaints with cross-reactive fruit. Therefore, both should be treated in patients with urticaria who are allergic to pollen.
Drug treatment is required in pollen allergy. It helps to control the complaints, but its use alone does not prevent you from developing asthma in the future or the progression of the patient.
Are Allergy Vaccines Necessary for the Treatment of Pollen Allergy in Adults?
Vaccine therapy (immunotherapy) is currently the best treatment available for the treatment of pollen allergy. Vaccination (immunotherapy) against the allergen that causes allergic rhinitis in adult patients is the best treatment method that can eliminate the symptoms of the disease, prevent the progression of the disease and the development of asthma.
Allergy vaccine (immunotherapy) treatment is a treatment approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). With the use of allergy vaccines, the need for drug use decreases, and the problem begins to disappear after encountering allergens that previously caused complaints. In addition, if asthma has not developed, it can also prevent the development of asthma that may develop in the future. Today, the only treatment that has the potential to stop the progression of allergic rhinitis to asthma is the allergen-specific allergy vaccine
. In patients diagnosed with pollen allergy by allergy tests, allergy vaccines should be administered for whichever pollen allergy they have. Allergy vaccines are made individually depending on the pollen you are allergic to. That’s why it’s so important to identify it correctly.
Allergy vaccines for pollen allergy can be administered as tablets or as a subcutaneous injection applied to the arm.
Allergy vaccines produced for pollen are extremely effective. In particular, vaccines in the form of tablets or injections, which are started before the pollen season, allow the patient to spend the pollen season comfortably without any complaints and without the use of drugs.
Education is important in the Treatment of Pollen Allergy in Adults.
Treatment of Pollen Allergy consists of the combination of many parts, as in other allergic diseases. In the treatment of Pollen Allergy, each of these parts has a different place and should be evaluated as a whole. In the treatment of Pollen Allergy, it is very important to provide training on how to do prevention methods, when and how to use drugs, and how to use allergy vaccines. The lack of one part in the treatment of Pollen Allergy causes the others to be missing. Special treatment schemes should be created for each patient, including all of them, under the control of allergy specialists.
If diagnosed and treated by allergy specialists, the patient’s quality of life, work and school life improves, but if not treated, a more dangerous process begins that results in asthma. So
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