Tag Archives: allergies

Signs You Need an Allergist Vs. ENT

An allergist is a trained specialist to diagnose, treat, and prevent allergies. These allergists are the ones who can provide asthma care, immunotherapy treatments, allergy testing, holistic treatments, and related assistance.

ENTs treat medical issues in your nose, ear, and throat, together with the neck and head. A lot of these conditions might require surgical treatments, like corrections to bone or cartilage. An ENT will normally treat structural issues that need surgery – this will differ from an allergist who can diagnose allergens that are causing an allergic reaction.

You should not think that an allergist is an ENT, but there are instances such as sinus infections when they collide, for most of it, where those two positions specialize in different health niches. Read on to know more:

When to Visit an Allergy Clinic

In some cases, you could identify the allergen that may cause inflammation. For example, if you suffer from a food allergy, then you may feel an allergic reaction after eating that food. You could experience swelling in your skin rash and mouth. As a consequence of this, you can prevent a reaction by avoiding specific types of foods. However, on the other hand, you are unable to understand certain allergens such as dust allergies or other environmental issues like:

  • Runny nose
  • Shortness of breath
  • Itchy throat
  • Skin rash
  • Sinus infections
  • Eye-watering redness
  • Swollen lips and tongue

If you are experiencing these symptoms, then you need to go to an allergy clinic and not ENT doctor. However, there are a couple of symptoms that may need ENT treatment.

Signs You Need an ENT

You could be dealing with issues in your ears, nose, and throat. Even if the symptoms in these areas are intertwined with allergies, there is a difference between them. An ENT doctor is helpful in diagnosing and treating any conditions in your ear, nose, throat, neck, and head. You should see an ENT if you have any of the following:

  • Ear infections
  • Tonsil infection
  • Complications in hearing
  • Ear, nose, or throat pain
  • Issues with swallowing
  • Head and neck tumors or cancer
  • Deviated septum
  • Chronic sinusitis
  • Tinnitus
  • Cleft palate
  • Vertigo symptoms

If You Put it all Together

Allergists and ENT work together to maximize control of your sinus/nasal congestion and it is possible that you might need evaluation from specialists. Allergists will normally refer patients to ENTs when they need surgery and ENTs will refer patients to allergists when they need a formal allergy assessment.

Allergies are not the only reason why you experience nasal symptoms. So, if you have a structural problem or you suspect one, an ENT specialist is a good first choice. However, if you suspect that you are experiencing breathing or sinus issues related to asthma or allergies, consider seeing an allergist. They can help treat, diagnose, and control symptoms through non-surgical methods.

When you have allergies, many areas of your body can become affected. This includes your eyes, nose, throat, lungs, mouth, stomach, and even sinuses. For most people who experience allergic reactions, an allergist should be the first person they contact. An allergist is used to identify the causes of immune system response and allergic reaction and develop a solution that removes or reduces any threat to you.

Treat Your Allergic Reactions

If you suffer from ear, nose, and throat-related issues in certain seasons, then you could be suffering from allergy problems. That is why you might have to visit an allergist instead of an ENT. They will provide what you need.

You can visit an allergy clinic Manassas VA anytime if you think you need an allergist instead of an ENT.

Allergens that Cause a Sore Throat

Among allergy symptoms that affect daily life, getting a sore throat caused by allergies is irritating. If you have a runny nose and itchy eyes, a sore throat can be discomforting which can disrupt your routine.

Allergy sore throat symptoms can include a scratchy and dry feeling in your throat. The different kinds of allergies that cause this can be seasonal or something at home that is affecting you.

There are different steps you can take so you can manage or reduce symptoms.

Your allergy specialist will also tell you that histamines trigger your body to produce more mucus so your nose, mouth, and throat will not dry out. Most of the time, you will not notice the body’s mucus production.

Allergens and How they Affect You

Post-nasal drip is the culprit when it comes to an allergy-induced sore throat.

It is because of exposure to allergens and they occur when there is congestion in the sinuses and nose to your throat. This will cause scratchy or tickling pain.

The drainage can also cause:

  • Excessive swallowing
  • Coughing
  • Throat discomfort and clearing
  • Difficulty in speaking

A lot of allergies, like pollen, are seasonal.

If your symptoms are all-year-round, your symptoms could worsen during the seasons when there are a lot of airborne irritants.

Other Symptoms that Appear

  • Fatigue
  • Stuffy or runny nose
  • Sneezing and coughing

Symptoms of cold, flu, and other infections, but not normally allergies – include:

  • Body and muscle aches
  • Fever
  • Swollen lymph nodes

If you feel itchy, have watery eyes, and have a sore throat, it is most likely caused by an allergic reaction because the eye symptoms do not occur with the flu or cold.

Another clue is how long the sore throat lasts. A flu or cold does not last more than 2 weeks.

However, your allergic reaction can last for as long as you are exposed to the allergen. For instance, someone with a pollen allergy can have reaction symptoms for about 6 weeks, which depends on the season.

Oral Allergy Symptoms

  • Itchy mouth
  • Irritated, scratchy throat
  • Swelling and redness of the mouth and lips
  • Other symptoms of seasonal allergies

Anyone who has a sore throat or other allergy symptoms after they eat raw fruits or vegetables should talk to an allergy doctor.

How to Prevent Sore Throat Caused by Allergies

If you want to prevent sore throat caused by allergies, you would want to take steps in order to limit exposure to the substances that trigger you.

You should do your best to stay away from known irritants, like pet dander and cigarette smoke. If your allergies are seasonal, such as hay fever, are caused by trees and flowers in bloom, there are a couple of things you can do:

  • Keep your windows and doors closed
  • Wear a pollen mask when you are outside if it is “allergy season” to protect yourself from any airborne allergens
  • Take a shower after you come from outdoors
  • Wash clothing that you wore outside
Treatment

Preventing allergies is important in alleviating a sore throat, as well as other related symptoms. The primary step is to limit your allergen exposure as much as you can.

Avoid any known irritants, like pet dander or cigarette smoke, as much as possible. You should keep windows closed or wear a surgical mask outside so you can protect yourself from airborne allergens during the worst seasons.

You will not be able to avoid allergens all the time. This is the time when allergy shots and medication can help.

You can contact an asthma doctor Germantown MD anytime if you need a sore throat allergy treatment.

How to Fight Fatigue from Allergies

If you are suffering from allergy fatigue, you are aware that it can be frustrating because you have to deal with sneezing, itchy eyes, and a runny nose.

There is another common symptom you might not think is associated with allergies: fatigue.

An allergy specialist will tell you that allergies can make you feel tired for different reasons, which include allergic reactions. Other indirect factors like difficulty sleeping, which might also make you feel fatigued.

Either way, it would be important to identify the reason behind your allergies so you can stay away from triggers. The doctor will help you identify what can cause symptoms, together with a recommended treatment to alleviate them. Read more about it now:

Know What You Are Allergic to

If you want to treat allergies, you should know what you are up against.

An allergy test helps identify substances that can trigger allergic reactions. These substances, which are called allergens, can be the things you are breathing in, touching, or eating.

A skin allergy test involves exposing the skin on your back or arm to small amounts of allergens to find out what you react to. These tests are normally done in one sitting, and you will get results immediately.

Blood allergy tests can check for allergens and it is useful if you are taking medication that interferes with the results. It is also effective in case your doctor thinks you have a severe reaction to a small amount of allergen.  

Allergy Shots

If over-the-counter allergy medications do not help you enough, the doctor might recommend allergy shots or injections that help reduce allergic reactions.

This is also called immunotherapy, and the shots work by introducing your body to small amounts of the substance that triggers your allergies.

Over time, your time is going to get used to the allergen, which helps you control symptoms.

Low-histamine Diet

Since histamine is broken down by your liver, supporting the liver using bitter cooling herbs like Andrographis, dandelion, and artichoke leaf is a crucial consideration. A diet that is low in histamine helps you during allergy season. The main elements of this diet are excluding foods with high histamine and promoting histamine release, and the addition of nutrients that act as natural histamines.

Take Allergy Medication at Night

Antihistamines are an effective and common way to control allergies, and modern allergy medicines are less likely to cause drowsiness compared to older ones. However, some people might still feel tired after they take an allergy pill, especially if they have not taken one recently.

If you need help reducing drowsiness and becoming more alert during the daytime, you must take your antihistamine in the evening instead of in the morning.

Consistency is key to reducing drowsiness caused by antihistamines – the longer you take a daily medication, the easier your body can tolerate side effects.

Not all antihistamines are for daily use, so you should talk to the doctor before you start or change allergy medications to make sure it is good for you.

Neti Pots

A neti pot or container you use to rinse nasal passages helps relieve allergy symptoms.

You should fill the device with distilled water and salt in order to create a saline solution, then you need to use it to clear out allergens and mucus in mucus membranes.

Neti pots help relieve runny nose, congestion, and other symptoms, but if you are feeling tired, it can help you take allergy medication at the same time.

You can find allergy doctor Manassas VA anytime if you are suffering from fatigue because of your allergies to get proper treatment.

Psychological Impact of Food Allergies

Food allergies could impact the patients’ emotions through direct and indirect mechanisms. The direct mechanisms can include central nervous system effects from the biological mediators released when you have an allergic food reaction. Indirect mechanisms can include the stress of living with food allergy like avoidance of food preparation and controlling the fear of potential consequences when you ingest the food.

You can go to an allergy specialist doctor and find out more about indirect effects that can also be mediated through family members, like the stress of the parent on the child. Since food allergy is increasing in children and adults, it has become difficult to study, and sometimes symptoms can be misinterpreted because food allergies are normally patients with psychological profiles.

Bullying

Aside from feeling anxiety, those with food allergies can go against bullying. One out of three children gets bullied for having food allergies. The rate is pretty high, and the research suggests that people are not always aware of this. A study has found that about half of parents and children who have food allergies do not know that their child experience school bullying. This can be shocking to parents.

Bullying also affects adults because of food allergies. It can range from eye-rolls, microaggressions, and derisive tone of voice.

Impact on the Parents

There can also be gender differences regarding how parents handle their child’s allergies. The responsibility for allergy management mainly falls on moms. There is mixed evidence if this material leads to marital strain or it can actually help greater family cohesion, but it affects the psychosocial well-being of moms can be heavier.  Moms might feel responsible when it comes to controlling triggers, with the need to carry the idea that they might have to face unexpected reactions.

Reactions from People

The major frustration of parents include not having enough public understanding, not wanting to accommodate, inconsistent information about treatment, and mislabeled products. Food allergy impacts the general public’s perception, and it can influence how food allergy is managed. For example, if a patient thinks that their friend’s belief in asking about the ingredients is unimportant, they might do the same. Sometimes, children may experience harassment and teasing due to food allergies, and some have reportedly smeared with the allergic food. Some adults say that their allergies have been disregarded by others, and they have faced a lack of understanding as well.

Building Connections

Getting help is not simple all the time. it can be difficult to find mental health professionals who can understand food allergies. It is important to teach individuals how they should support people who have food allergies and to show clinicians how anxiety issues can be spotted.

A counselor can help connect people with professionals who are sympathetic toward people with food allergies.

In other countries, getting support can be difficult. There are a couple of mental health resources mainly for people who have food allergies. People will mainly use resources that support the anaphylaxis campaign.

Daily Life with Food Allergy

Of course, my interest in this area comes from personal experience. Psychologists have observed the gap that goes on between empirical research and their experience as parents who have children with allergies. People will feel fortunate that there is already clinical training to hone the experience of researching more about the psychological effects of food allergy.

Friendships

Food allergies can impact social life, and part of this is being mediated by the confidence of allergy sufferers and them being taken seriously and carefully managed.

You can talk to an allergy clinic Germantown MD if you need to know more about the psychological effects of food allergy.

 

 

Why Fall Make Allergies Worse

Transitioning from summer to fall is the time when people go back to school, but for those who suffer from allergies, the seasonal switch could mean an unwelcome change in the symptoms. For people who feel the fall pollen impacts like mold and ragweed, you are not alone in this. Allergic rhinitis symptoms, including runny nose and congestion, can affect millions of people in the USA every year.

Some states make these effects more compounded because of weather patterns that switch between dry and wet periods, which trigger the allergens released into the air.

You can ask your allergy doctor about fall allergy treatments, but you need to know why allergies are worse during the fall. Read on to learn more.

Ragweed

In the fall, ragweed surges so it spews pollen into the air and it causes classic nasal allergy symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes, and scratchy throat. While you cannot completely avoid ragweed pollen, you can do steps to reduce exposure. You need to keep your windows and doors closed. Use refrigerated air conditioning, if possible, but not an evaporative cooler. The best thing to do is to wear a NIOSH-95 face mask so you will not inhale pollen when going outside. Your respiratory system will thank you for this.

Mold

Mold is another allergy trigger in the fall. Normally, fall weather comes with cooler weather and rain. Once the fall foliage starts to decay, it will attract mold growth. Breathing mold aggravates asthma, which causes wheezing, heavy breathing, and other upper respiratory symptoms in mold allergies. If you want to make the most out of the cooler weather and enjoy the outdoors more, you might have to wear a mask while being out in the woods.

Heat

You might want to bask in the summer days that extend in autumn, but the warm air can extend the pollen season and trigger allergy symptoms in the fall. You must not give up the last days of summer in order to avoid a runny nose. If you want to keep symptoms controlled, avoid the outdoors when pollen count normally peaks. You can enjoy the late summer sun at dusk. You can also try avoiding chores like raking leaves and mowing grass, both of which can stir up mold spores and pollen.

Dust Mites

Everyone can agree that fall weather is the most comfortable because days are a little cooler and you might also have to turn on the heat to feel cozy. This could be the first time in a few months that you turn on the heating. This blows a lot of dust mites inside your home, which trigger wheezes, sneezes, and runny noses. That is why you should change the filter before running the heating system.

Pets

You might have realized that pet dander triggers allergy symptoms such as sneezing and a runny nose. However, did you realize that your pet can worsen fall allergies? Cats and dogs that play outside can collect ragweed pollen inside their fur and bring it inside your home. After you go inside, the pollen can disperse into the air easily and cause misery for those who suffer from fall allergies. If you want to avoid this, make sure to wipe your pet using a damp towel before you allow it back indoors after being outside.

Heat

The warm air that could extend to pollen season and trigger symptoms of fall allergies. You would want to stay indoors in those last days of summer to avoid the symptoms. Stay indoors in the morning because it is when pollen count normally peaks.

You can visit allergist Germantown MD if you have fall allergies.

Signs You are Allergic to Your Pet

Pet allergy is your body’s reaction to proteins that are found in the skin cells of animals, urine, or saliva. The common signs of a pet allergy are sneezing hay fever and runny nose. Some people can experience symptoms of asthma, like breathing difficulty and wheezing.

According to an allergy clinic, pet allergy is activated by being exposed to dead skin flakes that the pet sheds. Any furry animal can become a pet allergy source, but pet allergies are normally linked to cats and dogs.

In case you are allergic to pets, the most effective strategy is to stay away from any animal exposure. Other treatments of medications might be important in relieving symptoms and managing asthma.

Causes

Allergies to animals are common, especially in individuals who have asthma or additional allergies. The truth is, that a significant percentage of people are allergic to pets, and cat allergies occur twice as often.

In case you suffer from a pet allergy, which does not always mean that you are allergic to the dog or cat. Aggravation or allergic reactions to asthma symptoms results from substance exposure that is found in pets, which includes saliva, urine, flaked skin, and dander. Aside from that, furry pets can become virtual dust mops, while bringing in allergens such as mold spores, dust, and pollen coming from outside. Pet hair is not an allergen, but it carries substances that cause allergic reactions.

Symptoms

Dog, cat and other allergens could land on the membranes, which line the eyes and nose. You can breathe pet allergens in your airways. Symptoms of an animal allergy include:

  • Stuffy nose
  • Itching and swelling of eyes and nose
  • Sneezing
  • Postnasal drip
  • Runny nose
  • Eye redness
  • Hives
  • Coughing
  • Sleep disruption, itchiness, fatigue, or irritability in the roof of the mouth and throat

You can get itchy eyes after petting an animal and touch your eyes after.  A pet scratch or lick on your skin causes redness and itchiness in the area. You could get hives. Pet allergy may trigger an asthma attack in case you have asthma as well.

Those who have pet allergens have different sensitivity levels. Some experience minor symptoms and other people have severe symptoms. In case there are low allergen levels, symptoms might not show up until after a couple of days after interacting with your pet.

Dogs and Cats

Allergens that come from cats and dogs are in the skin cells the animal is shedding, and in the saliva, sweat, and urine on their fur. Dander is mainly a problem because it is small and it remains airborne for longer periods of time with very little air circulation. It also gets easily collected in upholstered furniture and it will stick to your clothes.

Pet saliva sticks to bedding, carpets, clothing, and furniture. Dried saliva can become airborne.

Hypoallergenic dogs and cats might shed less fur compared to the shedding types, but a completely hypoallergenic breed does not exist.

When Should You See an Allergist

If you have any of the symptoms, you might not want to think that it is your pet that is causing you discomfort. Most of the time, the best treatment is to avoid any contact with dogs and cats. For a lot of animal lovers though, pets are treated like a part of the family.

Regardless if you have mild symptoms, it would be good to schedule an appointment with an allergist. Your allergies can worsen with time. Therefore, you should get treatment early to prevent any complications.

You should talk to an allergy center Manassas VA anytime so that you can get treatment early.

How Allergies Affect Your Mood

Chronic Hives

Many studies revealed that people who have allergic rhinitis suffer from sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, and nasal congestion. They can also suffer from depression and nasal fatigue.

Allergic rhinitis makes it more difficult to concentrate at school and work which affects your energy level and sleeping habits. If your life is disrupted by seasonal allergies, you need effective allergy relief that is important to your well-being. You should be aware that going to an allergist specialist doctor is one of the most considerations you need to make. You are going to be educated regarding the impact of allergies on your mood and daily life in general. Make sure to read this article until the end to learn more.

Fatigue

Studies have discovered that fatigue is common among people who experience seasonal allergies. The truth is, daytime tiredness, while it happens less often than the nasal symptoms, seems to be more common compared to itchy eyes or post-nasal drip.

There is one study that recorded fatigue in 60% of those with allergies, which is very common among people who say they feel tired because of allergy symptoms.

Increases Stress

Sneezing, itchy eyes, breathing difficulty, and congestion are not fun for anyone. This impacts your daily function and the way you sleep. That spills over into any day. All this adds up to increased stress and it gets worst when it becomes chronic.

Physical Symptoms Can Affect You Mentally

When you deal with constant congestion, itchy eyes and runny nose leads to frustration and depression. They are going to prevent you from engaging in fun activities like hiking in a state park.

Allergy symptoms can disrupt your sleep as well. This can make your fatigue worse and it negatively impacts your mental health.

Mood

Aside from fatigue, or maybe because of it, more than 1/3 of people who experience allergies in one study feel depressed. And more than half of the respondents felt miserable or terrible because of their symptoms.

Some studies have discovered that clinical depression is twice as common in those who suffer from allergies.

In other ways, looking at allergies and their connection to your mood can be like a chicken and egg question. Is it the nasal allergy symptoms, maybe it is accompanied by embarrassment over these symptoms, which is the cause of your funky mood, or is it the funky that makes allergies more obvious?

Medications

It can be possible that your allergy medication can worsen your mood. Corticosteroids that are inhaled or injected are linked to manic depressive episodes. The same was not found in topical corticosteroids.

Allergies Can Sap Your Energy

Poor sleep normally causes low energy levels. In addition, allergies can cause fatigue. They make your immune system kick in, similar to if you had a virus or cold. In case your body uses energy to fight anything, it naturally means you have less vigor. In addition, some allergy medications will list drowsiness or fatigue as a side effect, so it is best to ask your doctor or pharmacist if you think your medication should be blamed.

Cognitive Effects

A lot of people already noted that their allergies make them “slower.” Regardless if these cognitive symptoms are because of fatigue, the side effects of allergy medications, or because of some mechanism because of the allergies, research can back them up.

People who have allergies experience slow verbal reasoning, slower decision-making, and reduced psychomotor speed. So, they react slower than usual during the times when they are most affected by allergy symptoms.

You can visit an asthma doctor Germantown MD anytime.

Signs You are Allergic to Alcohol

Alcohol allergy causes a rare toxic reaction to alcohol which can be fatal in some cases. Most of the time, what people consider an alcohol allergy is actually intolerance.

People can have an allergic reaction to certain ingredients in alcoholic beverages instead of the alcohol itself.

Someone who is truly allergic to alcohol should entirely avoid it. People who are intolerant to alcohol can still consume alcohol, but they will most likely encounter side effects. The reaction can come from something in the alcoholic beverage like grains, chemicals, or preservatives.

Aside from consulting with an allergy specialist, you can read this article to know more about what causes alcohol allergies and then review the differences between intolerance and alcohol allergy.

Causes of Alcohol Allergy

People who are allergic to alcohol go through a reaction just by consuming 1 milliliter of pure alcohol or a gulp of beer or wine. It is still a mystery to researchers why some people experience it when the body naturally produces it. However, in other cases, severe alcohol reaction is sometimes mistaken for allergies when it is actually caused by Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Some foods that could cause alcohol allergy are:

  • Tomato puree
  • Food marinades
  • Cough syrup
  • Overripe fruit that fermented
  • Mouthwash

Doctors can diagnose the allergy based on how antibodies are produced. Antibodies called immunoglobin E (IgE) can cause an allergic reaction in the body with common symptoms of an allergic reaction. In addition, blood tests can measure the responses of the immune system to specific substances.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of intolerance to alcohol or having a reaction to the ingredients in an alcoholic beverage include:

  • Red and itchy bumps on the skin
  • Facial redness
  • Stuffy or runny nose
  • Pre-existing asthma worsens
  • Low blood pressure
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea and vomiting

Treatment

Like there are no real cures for food allergies or pollen, nothing can cure alcohol allergies as well. The truth is, that alcohol allergy treatment focuses mainly on any symptoms that are present like using a topical cream to alleviate rashes. After that, an individual should totally avoid drinking so they will not suffer allergic reaction symptoms and could also die.

Alcohol Allergy vs. Alcohol Intolerance

An alcohol allergy and intolerance are different from each other.

If you have an alcohol allergy, your immune system has an overreaction to alcohol. Intolerance to alcohol is genetic and the digestive system of an individual cannot break down the substance properly.

Alcohol intolerance symptoms make a person feel uncomfortable. In contrast to this, alcohol allergy can sometimes become life-threatening.

Symptoms of Alcohol Intolerance that People Confuse with Alcohol Allergies:

  • High blood pressure
  • Low blood pressure
  • Heart fluttering sensation
  • Lips or tongue swelling
  • Chest pain or fainting
  • Coughing
Who are More Prone?

People who come of Asian descent have a higher chance of experiencing alcohol intolerance symptoms because of a genetic variant that comes from rice domestication in southern China many centuries ago. An enzyme that is called aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) turns ethanol into acetic acid in the liver. Those with Asian ancestry might have a less active variant of ALDH2, which makes it harder for them to digest alcohol properly. ALDH2 deficiency commonly causes alcohol intolerance.

Complications
  • Migraines – This is probably because of the histamines in alcoholic beverages. The immune system releases histamines when there is an allergic reaction.
  • Severe allergic reaction – On rare occasions, the allergic reaction can become life-threatening and might require emergency treatment. You should know all the symptoms so you will know if it is already severe or not.

You can contact allergy center Germantown MD anytime if you need to consult about your alcohol allergy.

 

What are the Types of Pollen Allergies

Hay fever comes from discomfort for people of any age. However, you can minimize the effect of pollen allergy with effective allergy treatment. When you develop a treatment plan, among the primary steps an allergist takes is to find out what the exact allergy trigger or triggers are. This process starts with the understanding of different kinds of pollen allergies.

During spring, summer, fall, and winter, plants release tiny pollens to fertilize other plants that come from the same species. The majority of the pollen that causes allergic reaction comes from grasses, trees, and weeds. These plants make light, small, and dry pollen grains that are transported by the wind. These pollens can go inside your nose, ears, and lungs that cause allergy symptoms if you are allergic to pollen.

Grass Pollen

The most common culprit of hay fever is grass pollen, and it normally lasts from late spring until summer. In reality, there are different factors that could see grass pollen being there from March to October. The common signs of grass pollen allergies include watery eyes, runny nose, itchy nose, and other symptoms. The cause of allergies requires that an allergy doctor performs testing if you suffer from grass pollen allergy. Some grass types you should be aware of are timothy, Bermuda, sweet vernal, and orchard.

Ragweed Pollen Allergy

Ragweed plants are popular for being an allergen and they are most active between autumn and late spring.

Aside from ragweed, tumbleweed, and sagebrush, they are also common allergens of weed pollen.

Tree Pollen

Even if it is less common than grass pollen, tree pollen comes in the earlier part of the year. People who have hay fever normally start to experience symptoms in the spring – symptoms can continue the entire summer. Normally, peak periods fall from March to May when maple, oak, birch, and elm tree pollen are most common. When you have a diagnosis of the allergy, you can start to see how the different kinds of tree pollen are going to impact your allergies, and then you can take precautions to limit exposure to tree pollen.

Birch Pollen

Birch trees bloom during spring. Which is the reason why birch pollen is among the major causes of pollen allergies in spring. A single birch tree produces up to 5 million pollen grains that get dispersed into the air.

Aside from birch, allergies from tree pollen are caused by oak and cedar trees as well.

Treatment

Home remedies, medical treatments, and changes in lifestyle help ease pollen allergy symptoms.

Treatment options available:

  • Antihistamine medications are over-the-counter, like loratadine or cetirizine. A person should begin to take these medications a couple of weeks before the start of allergy season.
  • Immunotherapy tablets or shots in order to desensitize the body to pollen.
  • Nasal corticosteroid sprays are effective when it comes to reducing inflammation and its symptoms associated with it.
  • Nasal sprays are designed to relieve congestion and itching. These cover decongestants, which are just a short-term solution for swelling.

The majority of treatments can only help manage the symptoms or allergy, but will not cure them. immunotherapy can be helpful for managing long-term allergies but it takes a couple of years to complete.

How Long They Last

It will depend on the kind of pollen that triggers your allergies:

  • Tree pollen – March until mid-May
  • Grass pollen – Mid-may to mid-July
  • Weed pollen – Mid-August to November

Your location will impact this. The weather also has an effect on pollen levels, which delays or extends how long the allergies last in a year.

You can visit an allergy clinic Germantown MD to manage your symptoms

Foods that Might Help with Allergy Symptoms

When talking about food allergies, you could think of avoiding certain foods to prevent any adverse reaction. However, the connection between seasonal allergies and food is linked to only a couple of food groups called cross-reactive foods. The reactions to cross-reactive foods can be felt by those who have ragweed, birch, or mugwort seasonal allergies.

Aside from the food groups, seasonal allergies are normally called allergic rhinitis or hay fever. They only happen during specific times of the year – normally during the summer or spring. They happen when the immune system has an overreaction to allergens, like plant pollen leading to sneezing, congestion, and itching.

Your allergy doctor would want you to eat these foods to help alleviate allergy symptoms:

Ginger

Ginger and its extracts are popular for their medicinal effects, which include anti-nausea, anti-inflammation, and pain relief. Since it has anti-inflammatory properties, it can work against allergies too. based on a study, ginger suppresses the production of specific cytokines that causes the activation of the mast cell. Therefore, they lead to the prevention and alleviation of the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Unfortunately, there are no human studies that prove ginger can help with allergy symptoms. However, it is a spice that you are probably aware of.

Fruits Packed with Vitamin C

You should blame the hives, itchiness, and other discomforts you could be feeling because of an allergic response to histamine. Vitamin C helps because it indirectly limits inflammatory cells from producing histamine. High vitamin C levels reduce histamine and help break it down faster after it has been released, providing relief to allergy symptoms.

Aside from the fighting power of histamine, foods with vitamin C can provide relief of allergy symptoms by reducing inflammation. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, which means it counteracts free radicals’ anti-inflammatory effects. Foods like oranges, apples, strawberries, and watermelons counteract the inflammatory allergic response.

Tomatoes

Technically, a tomato is a fruit and it is also rich in vitamin C. They also contain lycopene, which is another antioxidant compound that helps to decrease inflammation. Even if lycopene is also in other pink and red foods, 85% of dietary lycopene is found in tomato products, which include tomato juice, ketchup, and sauce. There is still emerging research on the connection of lycopene to allergies, but lycopene might help improve lung function after exercising when you have asthma.

Turmeric

Turmeric is also a popular anti-inflammatory powerhouse because of its active ingredient known as curcumin, which has been linked to the reduction of inflammation-driven diseases. In addition, it could help minimize the irritation and swelling that allergic rhinitis causes.

Even if the effect of turmeric on seasonal allergies has not extensively been studied, there are promising animal studies.

Turmeric can be in the form of pills, teas, or tinctures or it is eaten in foods. Regardless if you take turmeric pills or use it in cooking, you should be sure about choosing a product with black pepper or pair it with black pepper inside your recipe. Black pepper raises curcumin’s bioavailability by 2,000%.

Fatty Fish

You should put some sardines in your next pizza since fatty fish like mackerel or sardines keep allergy symptoms controlled. Omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood lowers inflammation in the body, which prevents swelling in the noses and throats when there is high pollen in the air.

Cold-Water Fish

An example of cold-water fish is salmon because it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and it shows anti-inflammatory effects to help with allergy relief.

You can go to an allergy specialist doctor Germantown MD anytime to get more tips about foods to eat.