Tis the Season of Red Eyes & Runny Noses
Everybody is meant to love Spring. The warm sun, a symphony of birds, beautiful flowers in bloom. But some forget to mention that those beautiful flowers produce pollen, that produce a not-so-beautiful symphony of sneezing and nasal congestion. But why could such picturesque time of year result in such unsightly reactions?
And how can I spend less time staring into a Kleenex box and more time enjoying the serenity? Lets Find Out
Firstly, Why?
During Spring time, a large variety of flowers, tree's, and grasses come into full bloom. To put it simply - this releases pollen into the air, and straight into the nose of unsuspecting allergy sufferers. For over 15% of our population, this can cause a number of reactions due to the histamine being produced by the body.. be it sneezing, nasal congestion and/or running, red/puffy eyes, or itchy throats.
So How Can I Fix This?
If, like many, you're a little too late to 'prevent' this reaction. There are things you can do to help yourself, or to help others.
Have some anti-histamines tablets on hand This will reduce your histamine levels, therefore reducing your bodies reaction to it (NOTE: these can cause drowsiness - so use with caution)
Make use of winters left-over nasal spray This will help temporarily open your nasal passage until you can settle the reaction
Eyedrops There is anti-histamine eyedrops available to allergy sufferers, however, regular saline fluid can also be very soothing
As they say, failing to prepare is preparing to fail!
On the bright side, there are some preventative measures one can look into should you be a frequent or sever sufferer.
Keep a clean surrounding. By making sure your home and work place remains clean, it reduces exposure to any pollen or dust that will have settled on furniture and other surfaces.
For moderate to severe sufferers, an intranasal steroid spray can help prevent reactions during Spring. However, for best results, they should be taken before the season begins, and every day during.
For people with severe or prolonged reactions, who cannot gain relief from other methods, allergen-specific vaccines are available only from allergy specialist. This program last for years and its the only therapy that can provide a long-lived benefit
