Pollens, House Dust And Allergy

There is no doubt that at certain times of the year, pollens cause many people a distressing array of symptoms. These include hay fever, mucous, red eyes that itch intolerably, overheating and great tiredness. At times, particularly at night, difficulty in breathing may also be experienced.

As far back as 1867, Dr Charles Blackley of Manchester, noted that when pollen was placed on the skin it caused itching and swelling to some people. When pollen is inhaled, it makes contact with the mucous membrane, lining the nose, and absorbs water from the mucous. A substance, not yet identified, dissolves from the pollen and enters the bloodstream through the mucous membrane. It then becomes an antigen which the white cells and antibodies of the immune system would normally destroy.

In the case of an allergic person, the immune system does not destroy the pollen antigen. The presence of the antigen causes the mast cells, which are laden with histamine and other chemicals, to break up and release a flood of histamine to the affected areas. The excessive histamine causes both localised symptoms in the initial areas of contact and general symptoms throughout the body. The former being hay fever, runny nose, etc. and the latter, the accompanying tiredness and lethargy.

Pollens become a problem mainly during spring and also in autumn owing to some plants, chiefly wild grasses, flowering twice a year. As pollens are carried on the wind, it makes little difference whether a sufferer be a country or a city dweller, the allergic reaction will be the same. Fungal spores from plant parasites on grain crops can also trigger allergic reactions in pollen-sensitive people.

Obviously, avoiding exposure to pollens is extremely difficult, apart from staying indoors with the windows closed during the bad times of the year. It is possible, however, for many people to find relief through a programme of desensitization from a medical allergist. This is given, following a series of skin tests, to ascertain the various types of pollens causing the allergy.

Medication, such as antihistamine tablets and decongestant sprays may be used to seek occasional, temporary relief. These preparations do not cure but simply palliate symptoms to make life a little easier for the sufferer. Beware of prolonged use! In the United States, doctors now suspect that thousands of people have become addicted to nasal sprays. If used too often to constrict blood vessels that have become dilated by histamine, natural constriction ceases to happen efficiently and the nose can become permanently blocked.
While it may not be possible to eliminate symptoms completely, a clean diet and avoidance of allergenic foods and chemicals will assist the immune system to cope better with pollen allergies.

House Dust and Allergy
People who are sensitive to house dust suffer from a form of allergic rhinitis which can cause identical symptoms to those of a pollen allergy. Fortunately, the symptoms usually subside within half an hour once the person has removed himself from the house environment. The normal activities of making beds, dusting, vacuuming, beating mats, etc. tend to bring on the running nose, hay fever and other symptoms which indicate that an allergenic dust has been released into the surrounding air. A sensitive person may find that when he wakes in the morning he has a blocked nose and itchy eyes. In a dusty house he may even wake during the night, wheezing and short of breath. Housewives may have symptoms throughout the day because of constant exposure.

House dust is a composition of cotton, wool fibres, kapok fibres, moulds, human and animal hair, danders (skin flakes), food particles, insect fragments and a variety of substances brought in from outside the house. Although all these materials are to varying degrees, allergenic, the main problem is a living mite - a microscopic, tick-like creature whose main diet is human and animal dander. There are a number of different types of mites; some live in mattresses, whilst others prefer old upholstered furniture. Sensitivity to house dust, therefore, is mainly a sensitivity to the house mite. Treatment of house dust allergy involves removal of the mite and tests to ascertain a course of desensitisation therapy.

What About My Allergy Symptom?

When it comes to allergies there are all kinds of cause and all kinds of symptoms. Do you suffer from a single allergy symptom? Or many symptoms? There are some common symptoms seen among most:

1. Sneezing with either a runny nose or clogged nose
2. Coughing
3. Postnasal drip
4. Itchy eyes and/or nose
5. Sore throat or itchy throat
6. Watery eyes
7. Conjunctivitis which is an inflammation of the membrane the lines the eyelid which causes swelling of the eyes.

You need to know what the most common airborne allergens are and find out the main allergy symptom or symptoms.
1. Pollen Allergy - this is an allergy that strikes every spring, summer, and fall as tine particles are released from the various trees, weeds, and grasses. These particles are pollen and the main allergy symptom they cause is hay fever. Pollen is the most common allergy out there. With a host of people suffering at different levels. There are many excellent natural products that can help you a lot. If you can determine what is causing your allergy you will be in much better shape. It is the makeup of the pollen that causes the allergy symptom known as hay fever.

2. Molds - Mold spores can pop up anywhere and dealing with it requires that you get down and dirty. It will take some elbow grease and some persistence. If there is mold it can result in an ugly allergy symptom that affects the respiratory system. Mold will grow many places.
If mold is a problem you need to lower the humidity in the house and add fans for ventilation. Remove any visible mold. To clean mold use a product like Captan's Powder or Orthocine.

3. Dust Mites - you might be surprised to discover that dust mites can produce an allergy symptom like asthma. Dust mites are a microscopic organism that lives in the dust. They are not a single substance. Instead they are a combination of fiber, fabrics, animal dander, food particles, and the list goes on and on. These little creatures are virtually impossible to get rid of so you will want to control your allergy symptom. Of course using hepa filters and dusting and vacuuming regularly will really help.

4. Animals - Pets are one of the most common reasons for developing an allergy symptom like runny watery eyes. Of course there are many different allergies that can be caused by the dander from your pet. There is actually a higher rate of allergies with cats. Pet allergies can actually take up to two years to develop. The allergy symptom can be one or many and it can be no more than an annoyance through to very serious
Whatever your allergy symptom trying to discover the cause is worth your effort because you may be able to eliminate the cause or you may be able to find a natural product that can help you.

An allergy symptom is your clue that your immune system is malfunctioning. It's time you worked to straighten it out with herbal remedies..