Hay fever or allergic rhinitis is a very common allergy that occurs during the summer and winter time and it can take a while for the symptoms to alleviate. Here is everything you need to know about allergic rhinitis.

What Is Allergic Rhinitis?

Allergic rhinitis or hay fever, is an allergic reaction which is caused by hay and it causes the nose to become extremely inflamed and it may lead to difficulty in breathing. Along with that, you will also experience cold shivers and a high fever which may need the attention of an allergy doctor. This will lead to you feeling sluggish and your body will ache all over as if you are suffering from the common cold or flu. It is a highly uncomfortable and unpleasant situation and you want to treat it as soon as possible to prevent the symptoms from deteriorating.

What Causes Allergic Rhinitis

Now that you know what allergic rhinitis is, let’s see how it is caused and what are the possible triggers.

Inflammation of the nose is caused by the triggers which go into your body and target the immune system. It is a natural defense mechanism of your body to show inflammation and redness around the nose.

The main trigger of hay fever is a small grass like stalk called hay. It is very common to occur in spring and summers, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t rear its head during the winter. Hay and pollen are the main culprits of hay fever and they cause fever, body aches and redness and inflammation all over your face and sometimes your body too.

How Long Does It Last?

The symptoms and effects of allergic rhinitis on the body may prevail for months. It is not your usual common cold or flu which dies away in a few days or a week. Depending on how you take care of it, the time frame of hay fever’s effects is usually a month, at least. This is why it is advised and highly stressed upon that you take your medicines and use prevention so that you don’t get caught in the clutches of allergic rhinitis.

Treatment

Here are some treatment options hay fever.

Medicine

First and foremost, always carry your allergy medicines with you at all times. You never know when an allergy can strike and you want to be prepared for any allergic reaction.

Always have antihistamines with you. They will help with the inflammation and they even act as a makeshift fever medicine until you can get your hands on the real deal.

Nasal Spray

Nasal sprays are a great thing to carry if you have a blocked nose. Nasal spray will help clear out your airways and the saline will help to keep your nose hydrated so that triggers and allergens like pollen and hay don’t have anything to stick to. Keeping your breathing tract hydrated will keep you away from allergies.

Decongestants

If your chest is feeling congested and stuffed, you might want to consider taking decongestants. These are usually taken orally or in the form of some sort of spray. They are also present in nasal sprays, but oral decongestants do the trick almost always and they act fast too. So, always keep some handy in case you find your chest and nose feeling too stuffy and congested.

Prevention

• As far as prevention is concerned, always wear a mask when you go outside. Especially during spring, where pollen and hay are just looking for potential allergy candidates.. You want to be protected.
• Always wash your clothes after coming back from work or school or even going outside. Hay and pollen can get stuck to your clothes and it can find its way to your mouth or nose.
• Keep your windows closed and use a humidifier if you feel as though the air is too dry for your liking. You want to be able to breathe easily.

Conclusion

There you have it! You need to take regular medicine and take care of yourself to prevent hay fever from going haywire. These things are important pointers which will help you get through hay fever. In severe cases, visit an allergy center Germantown MD immediately for treatment.