Hay Fever 101

What is it?

As with other allergies, seasonal allergic rhinitis is an immune system over-response to a protein, in this case inhaled pollen or a mold spore. Antibodies are supposed to protect our bodies, to defend, but the immune system of a person predisposed to allergy can mistakenly identify a certain protein – perhaps birch tree pollen – as an invader and begin to create antibodies against it. These antibodies, which are called Immunoglobulin E or IgE, attach themselves to mast cells, which are abundant in the nose, eyes, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. When the offending pollen is again encountered, the IgE antibodies grab it, triggering the mast cells to release powerful chemicals, including histamine. This causes the allergic reaction.

Allergic rhinitis is often confused with irritant or non-allergic rhinitis, which is triggered by air pollution, smoke, strong odors or medication. Some people with hay fever or allergic rhinitis find that such irritants will further aggravate their allergic symptoms.

Symptoms

In hay fever, symptoms are the itchy, watery, puffy eyes, runny nose and sneezing that are the stuff of medication ads. When an allergic individual is exposed to a seasonal allergen, the chemical reaction begins: blood vessels dilate in the eyes and nose, the mucous membranes secrete fluids, and the itching and sneezing start. All this discomfort leads to sleep loss, fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating.

Sometimes the symptoms are confused with those of a cold. Itchiness is a prime indication that allergies are the culprit. Another clue that it’s not a virus is that you won’t get better in a week or so. If symptoms are due to pollens such as trees and grass, they will last over a season. In addition, if the sufferer has asthma, he may experience shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing.

Wind and Wet

While the pollen season kicks off at about the same time every year, the actual levels of the allergenic stuff in the air change

with the weather. This means that you won’t react the same way every year – or even every day. Pollen levels are highest on warm, dry, breezy days when the wind easily carries small, light grains away from the plant and into your nose. On colder, wet and humid days, the moisture clings to the grains and they are more likely to remain on the ground. When this moisture evaporates, the pollen again becomes airborne.

If you have seasonal allergic rhinitis triggered by molds, the peak months are July and August, though the season endures much longer. Mold comes out when the snow melts and stays until fall. Molds love moisture and can live in damp areas inside your house year-round. Molds are fungi, and reproduce by sending spores, which are tiny seeds. Like pollen, spores become airborne and can trigger allergies.

Sex and the Single Tree

For those behind in their botany, pollen is the male fertilizing agent of plants and grasses. As nature shows off in spring with blooming trees and flowers, species with large pollen grains rely on insects like bees to distribute their genetic material to mates. But plants with tiny grains of pollen cast it to the wind, relying on the breeze to transport their seed; these are the allergy culprits.

Pollen- and Mold-Proofing

While you can’t avoid pollen and mold altogether in spring, you can make life much more bearable by taking precautions inside and outside the home.

• First, DON’T open those windows! That lovely spring breeze will carry allergens inside. Once it’s warm indoors, use an air conditioner and make sure it is draining properly to avoid mold growth.
• DON’T hang out your laundry. The smell may be fresh, but pollen will be your bedfellow.
• DON’T dust and sweep when cleaning. Instead, wipe surfaces with a damp cloth and mop with water.
• DO use a vacuum with a certified HEPA filter to remove allergens from the air rather than blowing them around.
• If you’re not dander allergic and keep a dog or cat, DON’T cuddle your pet in peak pollination seasons. The animal’s fur may be laden with pollen.
• DO wash your exposed skin when you come inside, and take a shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair before heading to bed.
• DO keep your home dry to discourage mold growth. Maintain your roof to ensure your home’s structure doesn’t get wet and stay wet.
• DO clear your eaves troughs of decaying leaves and twigs.
• DO fix that leaky tap and other sources of mold-welcoming moisture.

Get Outside!

Hay fever sufferers don’t have to be shut-ins – one must simply learn when it is best to go out.

• Stay inside when pollen levels are at their highest, generally between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., when the morning dew is drying.
• Check local pollen forecasts before heading out, and ask a doctor for advice on when to take medications.
  

  Check your local news or go to weather.com to find the pollen forecast near you.

• Cool and damp conditions are good times to venture out – there will be less pollen in the air. If it is warming up after a rain, change plans. The pollen will become airborne as the water evaporates.
• Get someone else to mow the lawn if you are grass- or mold-allergic (the mower stirs up mold in the grass) and keep the lawn to two inches or less to prevent flowering. Don’t go outside if you hear the neighbor mowing during grass pollen season (May to July).
• Wear a facemask, hat, glasses, gloves and a long-sleeved shirt when working outside. This will keep pollen exposure to a minimum.
• Help yourself by making your garden as allergen-free as possible (and encourage neighbors to do the same). Spring-flowering trees such as cherry and apple are good choices as well as red maple, dogwood and magnolia; they rely on insects to pollinate.