By Jason Uvios
Allergic symptoms occurring due to weather changes are known as seasonal allergies. They are most common in the summer or spring seasons. The cause of this type of allergy is the immune system's sensitivity to pollen grains and dust.
Allergies could be hereditary in nature. The chance of developing an allergy is 75 to 80 percent if both parents are allergic, and it reduces to 40 percent if only one of them is allergic.
Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies
The common symptoms include runny nose, watery or itchy eyes, stuffy nose, sneezing, and an itchy nose-palate. The symptoms of asthma allergies are difficulty breathing, and at times a cough may be the only symptom.
Seasonal Allergy Causes
Weather changes affect the amount of pollen in the air. The level of pollen varies daily and is highest during humid weather. Grass pollen (June-July), tree pollen (May-June), and ragweed pollen (August-October) are common causes of allergies.
Ways to Reduce Allergies
1. Keeping doors and windows closed prevent pollen and molds from entering your house. Instead, use air conditioners to filter out pollen.
2. Do not hang laundry outside for drying because it will bring pollen inside.
3. While driving, keep the windows closed.
4. You can find out whether you are allergic to seasonal variations through a blood radioallergosorbent test (RAST) or skin prick allergy test. Once you know the pollen you are allergic to you can take preventive measures.
5. You should take medications regularly as recommended by your allergist.
6. Taking a shower is advisable after spending time outdoors, as pollen may collect on your skin and cause allergies.
7. People suffering from mold allergies should not grow indoor plants, as wet soil encourages its growth. You should not rake leaves or mow lawns, as it may cause a ragweed allergy.
Treatment for Seasonal Allergies
Antihistamine medication taken orally is helpful for certain allergic symptoms but is not recommended to children, as it may cause the child to become sleepy or drowsy during the day.
You can get relief by using anti-allergic eye drops that contain antihistamine.
Children suffering from nasal allergies can get relief from inhalers containing steroids. These are safe and effective if used regularly. You can also use over-the-counter decongestant sprays to get relief. Hence, to take proper treatment you should firstly identify its cause.
If you are thinking that an allergy is only a simple disease, you may be quite wrong. You may be afflicted by only one or two types of allergies. This may lead you to feel that allergies are limited to only those types. However, if you take a look around and see other people suffering from various other allergies you will soon realize that allergies are definitely not as simple as they sound. You will be flabbergasted to know the variety of the types of allergies that occur.
Source: physicalfitnessarticles.net
