With Spring approaching brings the warmer weather, which also invites allergies for those who are prone. So with the warming sunshine comes the sneezing, itching, and the sniffling. There’s a cloud of uncertainty when it comes to seasonal allergies.
During this time of year once the season turns, there are certain common misunderstandings. It’s known that although certain allergies can be lifelong conditions, most are able to outgrow them over time, this especially when it comes to allergies in children.
When it comes to seasonally based allergies, it’s thought that one’s immune becomes less sensitive over time. Despite the potential for most to outgrow them, it should not be assumed that they will, this especially if there’s previous history of chronic allergic reactions.
Close monitoring should be observed, this to continue avoiding the potential triggers as a precaution, this unless the allergy is confirmed completely eliminated by your health practitioner.
Causes Of Seasonal Allergies
Allergies Start As Children
If you didn’t experience allergies when younger, there’s no guarantee that you won’t develop them later on in life. Allergies are thought they can develop at any age.
The most common is adults developing environmental allergies. This includes exposure to new or different plants, air pollution such as toxins, and other environmental hazards can be associated with suddenly developing allergies when older. Becoming allergic to seafood is also common in adults.
Bad Symptoms From Eating Food
It’s found that reactions to certain foods isn’t necessarily an allergic reaction, but rather more of intolerance. It’s found that certain food intolerance’s are actually more common than food allergies.
Food allergies occur because of their specific reaction to a particular protein. The body thinks that the protein invasion is a threat, so it produces antibodies in response. These antibodies then releases histamine, which is a chemical that’s responsible for most common allergy symptoms, such as itching, flushing, and swelling.
Intolerance to foods doesn’t have this type of immunity reaction. Instead, they’re more of an issue with the body being able to digest or metabolize certain types of food.
Lactose intolerance, for instance, isn’t considered an allergy but rather the lack of enzymes in the gut, which results in the inability to digest milk sugar. Symptoms include bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Most symptoms of food intolerance are usually limited to gastric symptoms.
Allergic To Pet Hair
It’s found that the pet hair itself isn’t the issue, but it’s more the proteins which are found in the skin of the animal, or from the saliva.
These substances stick to the hair and thus promotes the allergic reaction, this once the animal sheds. Fido having less hair isn’t the solution either, so attempting to reduce allergies by shaving a pet, won’t usually reduce the symptoms.
Blame The Plants And Flowers
Most allergies appear to flare up once the spring flowers bloom. It’s found that the flowers itself aren’t to blame, but it’s more the pollen in the flowers which contributes to the seasonal allergies.
The most fragrant of flowers are found to contain plenty of pollen, and will become sticky once they’re airborne, this much more than the plants, grass, or trees.
Large colorful flowers also rely on insects to distribute the pollen. Generic plants, grass, or trees don’t usually attract these pollinating insects the same way, but instead relies more on wind.
It’s found that the individuals usually with flower pollen allergies, are in constant contact with these types of flowers, such as florists or gardeners. Others who experiences this particular allergy are reacting to the airborne pollens.
Dry Environments Reduces Allergies
Those who suffer from severe seasonal allergies, think that relocating to the dry arid desert somewhere hot is the solution. After all, there’s less plant growth in desert conditions, so no allergies, right?
This is not found to be the case. Although the desert may not have much plant life, such as flowers or trees which can attack allergy sufferers, they’re not entirely allergy free zones.
One study found that those who suffered from seasonal allergies experienced aggravated symptoms in highly arid areas, and as a result, allergy treatment was still required.
Also, the bigger issue appears to be the blowing desert dust, which can contribute to allergies along with other health concerns, such as creating respiratory issues, asthma, and other medical concerns.
Natural Allergy Relief
What’s found is that there’s a variety of natural solutions which can be used as an effective remedy to help reducing allergic symptoms.
Know The Local Pollen Count
Most areas now provide pollen counts during the allergy season. What these reports offer is information whether the general pollen is high, low, or moderate in the area.
This can prove helpful for seasonal pollen allergy sufferers, as it helps in predicting when the allergies can strike, this because of the increased exposure. Once the pollen counts begin to increase, taking your allergy treatments beforehand will help in reducing it’s onset, making them less severe.
Neti Pots Saline Rinse
Neti pots has recently become popular to reduce seasonal allergic reactions. This solution which rinses out the nasal passages, has shown to significantly improve allergic symptoms, while also reducing the need for allergy medications, this when used on a daily basis.
Relying On SLIT
Sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT has also gained recent popularity. This as an alternate to being administrated allergy shots. What SLIT uses are small dosages of allergy extract which are administered as droplets under the tongue.
The process is similar, this when exposing the immunity to small doses of an allergen, allowing the sufferer to eventually build up tolerance to that allergy.
The convenience and the lower occurrences of side effects, makes SLIT as a viable option for those who are looking to treat their seasonal allergies, this without without medical injections.