Seasonal allergies: symptoms, treatment, medications. Spring allergies: treatment with folk remedies

How to choose the right allergy remedy in spring? First you need to identify the reasons for its occurrence. is the response of the human immune system to external influences(plant pollen). Currently, this form of allergy affects approximately 20% of the population.

Causes of allergies in spring

Most often, this disease affects people living in environmentally unfavorable areas. The risk of hay fever increases if a person has other forms of allergic reactions. People suffering from diseases respiratory system, and patients with reduced immunity are also at risk. Harmful conditions labor increase the risk of allergic reactions.

Spring allergies occurs due to pollen spreading during the flowering period of plants. Don't forget about fungal spores, which can also cause this disease. The most dangerous in this sense are about 50 subspecies of flowers and trees, distributed throughout the world. It is in the spring that these plants bloom and, accordingly, outbreaks of allergic reactions occur. Most often they manifest themselves in the form of a runny nose, skin rash and urticaria.

Pollen from trees such as birch is carried for many kilometers. Therefore, a person whose house these trees do not grow can for a long time do not guess the cause of the allergy. The disease begins to worsen about a week before flowering begins. About half of allergy sufferers begin to suffer from a runny nose and watery eyes. It is during this period that treatment should begin.

Symptoms of spring allergies

First of all, this is nasal congestion, sneezing, difficulty breathing, discharge clear mucus from the nasal sinuses. Then the eyes begin to turn red and watery, and shortness of breath appears. On the skin side it is dermatitis, allergic rash and itching. In the absence timely treatment allergies can develop into angioedema. This condition requires immediate medical care.

Patients are often concerned about fever, general weakness, loss of appetite. Therefore, in many countries, carminative plants are destroyed, replacing them with safer species. Watering streets in the spring also gives good results.

A negligible amount of pollen is enough for the first signs of the disease to appear. In children, at the very beginning of the disease, symptoms are sometimes not observed. Only later certain time redness and swelling of the eyes, nasal congestion and skin rash appear. If left untreated, bronchospasm may occur, similar to asthma symptoms. The general condition of a person with allergies is similar to that of the flu. When the body is poisoned by plant pollen, sleep disturbances, migraines, and irritability may occur. When an allergen penetrates the digestive system, nausea, vomiting, pain in the epigastric region, which greatly complicates the diagnosis. Spring allergies are especially dangerous for older people, because they develop rapidly. That is why, when the first symptoms appear, you need to consult a doctor.

During pregnancy, seasonal allergies occur in the same way as in ordinary patients, but some of their manifestations may be more pronounced. When making a diagnosis, it should be taken into account that similar symptoms Rhinitis in pregnant women, caused by changes in hormonal levels, also has. That's why correct diagnosis can be placed only after the birth of a child, and during pregnancy it is prescribed only symptomatic treatment. Observation by an allergist will help reduce the risk of developing fetal pathologies. Pregnant women have a harder time with spring allergies, and the child also suffers.

Treatment of spring allergies

Treatment of this disease is aimed not only at relieving symptoms, but also at protecting the body from exposure to the allergen. In addition to eliminating provoking factors, the course of treatment includes taking medicines. First of all, these are antihistamines. They slow down the reaction immune system on external stimuli, reduce the production of histamine and reduce the severity of allergy symptoms. These tablets, inhalations and aerosols should be used throughout the entire flowering period. For skin rashes, gels and ointments based on glucocorticosteroids are prescribed. They are usually used in combination with antihistamines. Symptomatic therapy prescribed for exacerbation of allergic reactions. In addition, you need to follow a special diet.

It is necessary to stop the allergen entering the body. This is collateral successful treatment diseases. Very often used. The body is trained to resist the allergen less intensely. However, such therapy is not recommended during an exacerbation. It is best to conduct an ASIT course in winter. Medicines based on sodium cromoglycate are aimed at reducing the symptoms of allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis. In the event that non-steroidal antihistamines do not provide the desired effect, glucocorticosteroids are used.

Traditional methods of treating allergies

In addition to drug treatment, folk remedies also give a good effect. They can only be used under the supervision of a physician. During periods of exacerbation they should not be used. Medicinal herbs should be used with extreme caution, because many of them are allergens. Here is one of the safe traditional methods of treatment: 2 tbsp. Add a glass of boiling water to the twigs and leaves of black currant. Let it brew for an hour, strain and dilute with boiled water, bringing the volume of the decoction to 0.5 liters. Take 1 tbsp decoction. every 2 hours. The product removes allergens from the body and strengthens the immune system. The same decoction can be prepared from horsetail. Take it every hour every other day. A total of 7 courses are required.

Celery root juice is very useful for allergies. It improves blood quality, strengthens the immune system, and normalizes metabolism. Take 1 tsp of fresh celery juice. 3 times a day for 2 weeks. In the absence of allergic reactions to essential oils You can take oil extract of fennel or dill. A drop of oil is placed on a sugar cube and taken with each meal.

A good effect for spring allergies is given by taking calcium chloride. A teaspoon of the drug is diluted with a glass boiled water and take half an hour after meals.

Baths based on pharmaceutical clay will help get rid of skin itching. Add 10 tbsp to 1 liter of water. clay, pour the resulting solution into the bath. Take a bath for 10-15 minutes, after which you wash in the shower. Baths with a series give the same effect.

Do not neglect drug therapy.

As with any other types of allergies, with hay fever it is necessary to comply special diet. You should be aware of products that can cause allergic reactions. First of all, these are herbs, mustard, honey, garlic, exotic fruits, sunflower seeds, citrus fruits. With great caution, you should use decoctions of medicinal herbs: tansy, chamomile, yarrow.

The list of products prohibited for use if you have allergies is quite wide, but all of them can be replaced with others. It is very useful to eat fermented milk products, especially cottage cheese and cheeses, lean meat, dried fruit compotes and green tea. For mild allergy symptoms, it is not necessary to completely eliminate certain foods. It is enough to limit their use.

Spring allergies in adults are a fairly common condition of the body for many people. No one will argue that spring days awaken us from hibernation. But the sun, the smell flowering plants Not everyone is happy. A stuffy nose, watery eyes from pollen and the smell of flowers are just minor manifestations of an allergic reaction. The more flowering plants around a person suffering from allergies, the stronger the manifestations of the disease. Spring rain is a salvation for allergy sufferers, because some of the pollen is simply washed away with water, but good sunny weather is a real test. This disease cannot be left untreated, as it can lead to negative consequences up to and including death.

The medical term for spring allergies is hay fever. In the Russian Federation, more than 35% of the total population suffers from this disease.

Allergies in spring: causes

The main cause of the spring allergic reaction of many people is pollen from plants, trees and shrubs. When it gets on the nasal mucosa, it is perceived by the body as a foreign body.

As a result, the immune system begins to produce antibodies, just like when an infection enters the body.

In addition, during the body’s struggle with foreign bodies histamine is produced in the blood - chemical compound, which contributes to the emergence of specific, .

There are many types of spring allergies, and the treatment of the disease directly depends on this. It is for this reason that you should always seek help from an allergist, and not engage in independent treatment.

Mid-April is the time when the first signs of an allergic reaction appear. The peak lasts from late April to mid-May. By the end of the May days, symptoms cease to bother most people - but not everyone.

Plants and trees that can cause allergies in spring:

daisy, sunflower, chrysanthemum, ambrosia;
chamomile, amaranth;
ash;
apple;
linden;
poplar;
olive;
alder;
birch;
fern;
acacia.

Spring allergies can be inherited, but can also be triggered by poor nutrition, weakened immunity, and low stress resistance of the body.

At risk are children who have reached the age of seven, residents of megacities (in contaminated areas and places large cluster trees produce several times more pollen).

Allergies to spring: symptoms of spring allergies

Spring allergies manifest themselves differently in everyone. It should be noted that the symptoms are very similar to viral diseases. Therefore, many people do not even suspect that they suffer from spring allergies, attributing everything to spring vitamin deficiency, because of which it falls protective function immune system. In turn, such a chain becomes the cause of acute viral infections.

Allergy sufferers experience a runny nose, watery eyes, headaches, sore throat, itchy and red nose, and symptoms of general intoxication of the body - weakness, fatigue, sweating, drowsiness. The person begins to cough without producing sputum and sneeze. Sometimes spring allergies to flowering can be accompanied by attacks of bronchial asthma or conjunctivitis.

In order not to confuse spring with viral diseases, you should know that allergic reactions are not accompanied by an increase in body temperature, like influenza, ARVI, acute respiratory infections.

Moreover, viral and bacterial diseases disappear within 1-1.5 weeks. Allergies are characterized by similar symptoms for two months. People suffering from spring allergies find it very difficult to tolerate fresh air and being outside. The moment they are at home, the allergy symptoms subside slightly.

But you still don’t need to make a diagnosis yourself and go to the pharmacy to buy medicine. It is better to go to the hospital, because some people need not just pills, but droppers and injections to cleanse the body and restore histamine levels.

How to deal with spring allergies

Diagnostics can only be done using laboratory research. Tests will help determine what type of allergy a person has (to which particular plant) and how it can be combated.

Medical luminaries have not yet developed it. All treatment for allergy relief is aimed at reducing histamine levels and blocking suffocating coughing attacks. Any allergic reaction, including on plants, is scary because pulmonary edema can occur, which often causes death.

Experts advise allergy sufferers to keep a specific calendar in order to know when periods of exacerbation occur.

In spring you should follow simple rules:

It is advisable to take a vacation or sick leave (for working people) during flowering and visit a sanatorium or seaside resorts;
if it is not possible to leave, it is better to try not to leave the house;
It is advisable to install fine mesh on the windows in residential premises, if possible, do not open them, and use air conditioning in hot weather;
Take a shower or wash your hands and face several times a day.

During the period of exacerbation of the disease, doctors recommend not to use cosmetics that contain medicinal herbs, do not use herbal infusions and tinctures. Restrictions also apply to alcohol, sweets, citrus fruits and nicotine. If a person is going to travel abroad on vacation or on a business trip, he must have a medical card with him so that doctors anywhere in the world can help with allergic attacks.

Of course, the best for allergy sufferers best option in the spring - this means leaving your place of residence for two months. But not everyone has this opportunity. It is for this reason that people have to endure.

It should be noted that the treatment of each patient is strictly individual. It depends on general condition body, depending on how complex the person’s symptoms are. However, there are a few basic principles. One of the most effective ways, helping to get rid of the symptoms of an allergic reaction is preventive immunotherapy. The main objective of the technique is to introduce increasing doses of the allergen so that the body stops perceiving them. This treatment method is truly the most effective, but only if the person regularly visits medical institution for a month, sometimes a month and a half. Regularity in this context is keyword and the key to getting rid of allergies.

Another way to escape from illness is comprehensive measures, protecting a person during the period of exacerbation of the disease.

The preferred medications are antihistamines (suprastin, claritin). If the allergy is severe, it is possible to prescribe hormonal drugs to treat the disease.

Treatment of spring pollen allergies with folk remedies

During the period of exacerbation of the disease, crushed celery root helps to get rid of the main symptoms. The squeezed juice is taken 1 tbsp. l. 2 times a day.

Immunologists believe that if you adhere to a diet of juices during the flowering of plants (as soon as the exacerbation period begins), the symptoms will not be so pronounced. You can drink freshly squeezed carrot juices, from green apples, and cauliflower inflorescences.

Finely chopped onion (2-3 pieces), poured in, will help ice water(0.5 l). The mixture is infused for 24 hours. After filtering, you need to drink the entire composition within 24 hours.

To reduce unpleasant symptoms illness, you need to drink at least 3 liters of liquid during the day and exclude it from the diet flour products, fatty foods.

To remove allergens from the blood, doctors recommend taking 3-4 tablets every day for the entire period. activated carbon. Coal is an excellent absorbent. Its components envelop allergen molecules and help remove them from the body.

Effective for allergic manifestations rice diet. Moreover, this method will help not only reduce the symptoms of the disease, but also cleanse yourself of toxins. To achieve the best results, peeled boiled rice should be eaten for at least 35 days. To do this, it is soaked in water for three days and then boiled over fire for 15-20 minutes. It acquires a loose consistency, due to which harmful toxins are quickly eliminated from the body. You need to eat 150 g of rice every 2 hours.

Some healers advise eating only water and soaked bran for two weeks. You need to eat them 7-8 times a day with a glass of water. 1 tbsp. l. bran is soaked in 200 ml of water for 30-40 minutes.

Traditional medicine recommends taking it if you are allergic to flowering in the spring. apple cider vinegar with honey and water. Symptoms weaken almost immediately. To do this, you need to dilute 1 tsp in distilled water (1 glass). honey and 1 tsp. 6% apple cider vinegar.

Spring! This is the end of winter, the first rays of the sun, the awakening of nature. It would seem that everyone should rejoice in the warmth and admire the emerging colors.

But, at the same time, with the beginning of flowering, about 40% of the population of our planet suffers from spring allergies - hay fever. For people susceptible to this disease, from mid-April to the end of May is a difficult period, especially in dry and windy weather.

Plant pollen is almost invisible, it is carried by the wind over long distances through the air, settles on any surface, penetrates the home, and gets clogged into all the cracks. According to statistical values, All more people suffer from allergies in the spring, the symptoms of which usually arise due to poor nutrition, weakened immunity, increased stress, neglect of one’s health.

Spring allergies - symptoms

Recognizing this disease is often difficult. Most people confuse it with a cold and for many years do not suspect that they suffer from hay fever.

Similar symptoms:

pain in the eyes;
lacrimation;
runny nose;
sneezing;
sweating;
drowsiness;
decreased appetite;
dark circles under the eyes;
increased fatigue

It is also necessary to pay attention to the signs that are absent with a common cold: body temperature is within normal limits, a decrease in runny nose with increased humidity, and in a closed room the signs of a cold decrease.

With severe manifestations of spring allergies, the following manifestations occur:

upon contact with an allergen, itching, burning, redness, hives, swelling, and possible blisters appear on the skin;
irritation of mucous membranes, headache;
asthma - narrow respiratory tract, difficulty breathing, barking cough, wheezing, sore throat;
heart rhythm disturbance;
lowering blood pressure

What to do

This is an eternal question in unclear situations. People, in most cases, do not like to go to doctors, they begin to self-medicate, resort to folk remedies, run to the pharmacy and buy the first drug they come across.

These unreasonable actions provoke the development of the disease. Therefore, if you notice symptoms of spring allergies, it is recommended to consult a doctor. Only medical worker appropriate qualifications will be able to determine the disease, the degree of its development and, after research and analysis, prescribe treatment.

Treatment methods

Once an allergen has been identified, it would be ideal to change your place of residence and move to another climate zone. As prescribed by your doctor, take antihistamines, sorbents or hormonal agents and undergo immunotherapy treatment.

Prevention of immunotherapy consists in the fact that increasing doses of the allergen are introduced into the patient’s body over a long period of time. The human body begins to produce antibodies itself and stops reacting strongly to irritants.

How to protect yourself from spring allergies

Scientific research has shown that it is impossible to completely get rid of the symptoms of spring allergies, but it is quite possible to reduce suffering.

To do this, bring the intestinal microflora back to normal, since a weakening body increases susceptibility to diseases. Avoid exposure to air, walk after rain, when pollen is nailed to the ground and is not carried into the air. environment. Do wet cleaning at home more often, especially faithful assistant will become a washing vacuum cleaner. Cover the windows with gauze. Periodically moisten curtains and tulle on windows. Do not dry clothes outdoors. Change your daily routine and try not to go outside in the morning. Wear on the street sunglasses and, if possible, cover all exposed skin. Upon returning from the street, you need to take a shower and wash your hair. Do not use decorative cosmetics and perfumes. Exclude flour and fatty foods, citrus fruits, nuts, and alcohol from your diet. Drink more water, tea, coffee.

Help from traditional medicine

You should not abuse traditional medicine, but take note of a few simple and effective methods acceptable:

take 3-4 tablets of activated carbon every day. Helps remove allergens from the blood;
drink a decoction of celandine brewed until golden brown instead of tea;
symptoms weaken if you take apple cider vinegar with water and honey in the spring (1 glass of water, 1 tsp of affected, 1 tsp of 6% vinegar);
compresses of nettle leaves and roots on the affected skin will reduce itching;
solution baking soda and salt will perfectly help to rinse the nose and its congestion

Thus, there are many ways to relieve allergy symptoms in the spring. And even if you can’t completely get rid of the problem, you can reduce the manifestation and live ordinary life healthy and happy person.

Select a category Allergic diseases Symptoms and manifestations of allergies Diagnosis of allergies Treatment of allergies Pregnant and lactating Children and allergies Hypoallergenic life Allergy calendar

Allergies are more severe in spring than in any other season of the year. According to statistics, 85% of all allergy sufferers suffer from its exacerbation during this period. We’ll talk about why this happens, what the threat is and how to deal with the manifestations of this disease in this article.

Seasonal allergies are serious problem. Each season has its own list of the most aggressive allergenic agents that deliver greatest number problems. The peculiarity of this time of year is that the body, being weakened after winter cold, lack sun rays and vitamins, easily responds to the influence of any irritants.

The immune system is in a rather deplorable state, with “half a turn” colds and exacerbations of any chronic diseases.

In addition, the concentration of allergens is highest during this season. Thus, plants do not bloom in winter, there is no cold in summer, but in this “transitional” time of year absolutely all irritants can “work.” The air temperature outside is still unstable, there are frosts, and snow can fall even in May in some regions. And people, sensing the approaching heat, neglect warm clothes. Hence the allergy to cold.

Current news for 2018

Austrian scientists predict the beginning of alder and hazelnut flowering in Europe from the end of January.

So, what can you be allergic to in spring?

Spring allergens

Flowering plants cause a lot of trouble for allergy sufferers

As already mentioned, any known allergen can have its own negative impact on susceptible people. Distributing them in order of decreasing influence during this season, you can get the following list:

pollen from plants (flowers, grasses, trees);
pets;
food allergens;
medicines;
contact allergies (both to clothing and household chemicals);
mold(activates by mid-May);
insects (also appear towards the end of spring).

Looking at this list, one can understand that allergies in early spring before plants bloom are quite possible, since allergy sufferers suffer not only from hay fever. It is difficult to judge when allergies end in spring, because the flowering time does not end on May 31, but continues until the end of September.

Hay fever

First of all, people are worried about spring. Hay fever brings maximum inconvenience: an allergy to flowering in the spring is rightfully considered by WHO to be a pathology that largely disrupts usual way of life life. To find out what blooms in spring during this period, you need to turn to.

Please remember that for each region Russian Federation this document is prepared separately. After all, the periods of activation of the plant world in Norilsk and Rostov-on-Don are significantly different.

However, by averaging the indicators, we can identify the most generalized flowering schedule:

March

Spring-autumn plant flowering calendar (can be enlarged)

April:

birch;
maple;
alder;
lilac;
beet;
pine;
linden;
chestnut;
dandelion.

Despite the fact that there are quite a lot of allergens, there is an encouraging fact: weeds, which are the most powerful irritants, begin to bloom only in mid-summer.

Food allergies

It cannot be denied that this type of allergic reaction is relevant at any time. And if a person suffers from an allergy to oranges, then it will manifest itself in spring, summer, and autumn.

However, it is at this time of year that cross-allergies become most relevant.

Thus, in case of a hypersensitivity reaction to birch, symptoms may occur when consuming:

Photo: Rash on hands as a symptom food allergies

drain;
celery
and even potatoes.

IN " normal conditions» severe allergies there is no development for these products. But as soon as birch pollen begins to hover in the air, it becomes simply impossible to consume these vegetables and fruits.

It often happens that unripe products end up on store shelves.

There is an opinion that unripe vegetables and fruits are less allergenic than ripe or even slightly spoiled ones. However, this is not entirely true: some substances from “green” products are themselves stronger irritants than from “ready-made” ones, and their concentration is higher.

In addition, these components may be poisonous.

Household allergies

Allergy to dust and mold in spring it is not as widespread as in autumn. The fact is that fungi begin to become active only towards the end of spring, and the process of sporulation starts even later. Therefore, “mold allergy” is more of a problem at the end of the year.

But dust mites have an autumn-spring seasonality. People, “raking out rubble” in corners after winter, inhale large number dust. As a result, many of them experience worsening allergies.

Regarding pets, then they are especially “dangerous” at this time. First, active molting begins. And despite the fact that wool itself is not an allergen, it contains particles of proteins that cause negative reactions. With fur scattered throughout the apartment, they get into the respiratory tract and mucous membranes.

In addition, spring is the period of searching for a partner for reproduction. This means that all the animal’s hormonal and enzyme systems are activated in order to attract a “spouse”. The substances secreted by the beast become more active and “aggressive”.

Contact allergy

The seasonality of this disease is, of course, very arbitrary, but it does occur. On the one hand, people begin to clean their house, wash windows, someone makes repairs - hence the many household chemicals, cleaning products and even building materials.

On the other hand, spring is also a time of love for people. This means that women are starting to use decorative cosmetics and perfume twice as actively. Skin dried out by winter weather requires intensive care. All these are “danger factors” for the development of allergic reactions.

In addition, people change from woolen clothes to lighter ones. But it's still too cold to wear cotton blouses. Hence the abundance of synthetics. And it very often causes skin allergies.

Medicines and insects

Photo: Red rash on the body - a severe allergic reaction to a drug

By the end of spring, mosquitoes and ticks are already beginning to become active, but for this time of year this problem not so relevant.

But medicines, used for the treatment of acute respiratory diseases and chronic exacerbations may well cause undesirable reactions.

For example, pneumonia very often appears in the spring, and it requires treatment with antibiotics. People suffering from systemic autoimmune diseases(eg lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis), need hormone therapy, which also causes allergies.

Thus, allergies in spring are multifaceted and varied in their causes. What are its manifestations?

Symptoms of the disease

Allergy symptoms in spring, as at any other time of the year, are determined by its cause.

Pollinosis is characterized by:

cough;
nasal congestion;
runny nose and sneezing;
conjunctivitis (the eyes turn red, watery eyes begin, and there is a feeling of sand in the eyes);
the appearance or increase in frequency of attacks of bronchial asthma is possible.

Among the manifestations of contact allergies:

itchy skin;
peeling;
redness, inflammation of areas of the skin in contact with the allergen.

Food allergies manifest themselves:

abdominal pain;
nausea, vomiting;
diarrhea;
flatulence,
as well as symptoms from “other groups”.

If we talk about how allergies can worsen in the spring, it is worth noting the high variety of symptoms. Often, allergy sufferers have reactions to several different irritants, so a person whose skin is red and itchy and sneezing while having a sore stomach is not that uncommon.

Allergies in children and pregnant women

Children are the most susceptible category of people. Allergies in children in spring differ in the intensity of symptoms and their diversity. After walking down the street during the period of allergen dust, a child may become worse literally before his eyes:

within a few hours a severe runny nose appears,
frequent sneezing,
sore throat, cough,
redness of the eyes and nose.

The main danger of spring allergies for children is that hay fever in them with incredible ease turns into bronchial asthma, especially if there is a hereditary predisposition for this.

Allergies to spring during pregnancy are especially dangerous in the first trimester, when all the main organs and systems of the fetus are developing.

Treatment of “spring allergies”

It is quite difficult to completely get rid of allergic reactions at home. Often (though not always) this requires the use of special immune methods, for example, allergen-specific immunological therapy. This is a kind of “vaccination” against allergens.

However, such treatment is used infrequently. In most cases they use symptomatic remedies- those that eliminate the main manifestations of allergic reactions. These include antihistamines.

Preparations from 2 and 3 generations of antihistamines, are available in the form of tablets and syrups, are easy to use and have a minimum side effects. Effective means for allergies to spring:

Fenkarol,
Xizal.

There are also mast cell stabilizers, but drugs from this group can only be prescribed by a doctor to avoid irreversible consequences.

Used to relieve food allergy symptoms enterosorbents. For example:

Smecta,
Polyphepan,
Polysorb.

They help quickly remove the allergen from the body.

To relieve skin itching and inflammation, you can use local antihistamine and hormonal ointments.

The first include Fenistin, Gistan;
The second ones are Beloderm, Advantan.

However, uncontrolled use of glucocorticosteroid drugs can lead to a decrease in local immunity and the development of skin pustular infections.

Treatment folk remedies also acceptable.

However, it will be effective only with contact forms, general symptoms It will not be possible to remove it, it is only possible to support the body.

So, get rid of itching and flaking Decoctions of chamomile, string, and bay leaves will help. They can be used in the form of compresses, lotions, and homemade ointments. Improves immunity well mumiyo, rosehip decoction.

But extravagant means like vinegar should not be used. And it is important to remember that if you have an “allergy to spring,” folk remedies are not a panacea. After all, they can also cause undesirable effects. Reaction, like the original allergens, having exactly the same natural vegetable origin. Do not get carried away with herbs for coughs and intestinal manifestations.

Treatment of children and pregnant women

Majority antihistamines contraindicated in both categories. There is a very narrow group of medications that can be given to children:

Diphenhydramine,
Suprastin,
Pilpofen,
Fenistil.

They are available in the form of syrups and suppositories, so administering the drug will not cause problems.

Women expecting a child should take antihistamines possible only from the 2nd trimester of pregnancy

An earlier appointment can be made exclusively by a doctor and for health reasons. To cope with allergies, only local treatment is used ‒ zinc ointment, nasal rinses, vitamin complexes.

Starting from the 2nd trimester, in serious cases, an antihistamine may be recommended, for example:

Zyrtec,
Allertek,
Pilpofen.

But Zyrtec is contraindicated for women who have already given birth, because it passes into breast milk.

In general, it is difficult to answer the question of what nursing mothers can do for allergies. The optimal solution is to stop for the duration of treatment breast-feeding with a subsequent return to it (if possible), or with a transition to mixed or artificial feeding.

Prevention

How to prevent allergies in spring? There are quite a lot of preventive measures:

Carry out wet cleaning in the house as often as possible;
Support optimal performance temperature and humidity in the house;
Wipe your shoes with a damp cloth and wash your clothes every time you go outside;
put on medical mask while walking;
Go outside in calm weather;
Walking after the rain;
Ventilate the room only in the evening;
Use air filters;
Comb and wash pets;
Do not wear synthetic clothing;
Minimize the use of cosmetics and household chemicals;
As prescribed by a doctor, take antihistamines or membrane-stabilizing drugs for preventive purposes;
Prevent the development of respiratory diseases, receive timely treatment, preventing diseases from becoming chronic;
Follow a diet.

What should you not eat if you have allergies in spring?

There is no definite answer to this question - it depends on what you are allergic to. However, you should avoid consuming potentially dangerous foods:

chocolate;
citrus fruits;
fish;
nuts;
wheat;
unripe fruits.

Where to go in the spring for allergies?

It is best to go to the northern regions or countries, where plants have not yet begun to bloom, where nature is still in a frozen state.

Thus, allergies in the spring are a serious problem that can cause a lot of inconvenience to susceptible people. She makes her own changes to the usual way of life. However, by following some preventive measures, you can reduce the inconvenience to a minimum.

Seasonal allergies are a reaction of the human immune system to environmental irritants that come into contact with the body at certain times of the year. This phenomenon is also called “hay fever” (pollen), which means “pollen”. The disease has long roots: even the ancient Greeks (both common people and members of the elite) suffered from ragweed, which caused suffocation and skin rashes. Seasonal ragweed allergies are a scourge modern society. This attractive bright green plant with carved openwork leaves is still enemy number 1 among representatives of various flora.

Its tiny pollen is considered one of the most powerful allergens, capable of causing the appearance of just 25 grains of the substance per 1 cubic meter of air. One plant can produce several million of these particles that can cause asthma in a person - a dangerous path.

Historical background

Returning to history... Mention of a condition similar to seasonal allergies is found in the works of Claudius Galen, a Greek doctor. The connection between mass coughing attacks and flowering trees was also observed by the Dutch healer and naturalist Jan Baptist Van Helmont.

In 1819, the first descriptions of hay fever appeared - this is how the seasonal allergic reaction was officially designated by the English healer John Bostock, who associated it with such a provoking factor as hay. Half a century later, in 1873, his compatriot David Blackley proved that the cause of hay fever was actually pollen. 16 years later, at an open meeting of the Society of Russian Doctors, which took place in St. Petersburg, Dr. L. Silich spoke about hay fever, and for the first time seasonal allergies manifested themselves on a large scale in the 1960s in the Krasnodar Territory. Its causative agent was ragweed, brought to Russia from the United States with wheat grain.

To date, according to official statistics, every fifth inhabitant of the Earth is familiar with seasonal allergies, which do not distinguish people by age, gender or region of residence. The actual number of people suffering from hay fever is actually much higher and, despite significant advances in the study of ways to combat this disease, it is growing inexorably every year. How to treat seasonal allergies?

Causes of seasonal allergies

The causes of hay fever, which is provoked by plant pollen and fungal spores (from 500 to 700 species), are:

hereditary factor;
weakened immune system;
the presence of chronic bronchopulmonary diseases;
the presence of another type of allergy in the body (to food, medications, chemical compounds);
harmful working conditions;
unfavorable ecological state of the external environment.

What plants should you watch out for?

Seasonal allergies are caused by plants that are unpretentious to their location and climatic conditions, but aggressive towards humans from an allergic point of view: maple, alder, oak, cypress, birch, ash, linden, willow, walnut, elm, hazel. Meadow grasses include timothy, alfalfa, and clover during the flowering period. Rye, buckwheat, wheat, oats are grain crops that provoke the development of such a dangerous condition in humans as seasonal allergies. Ragweed and artemisia pollen should also be avoided.

The change of seasons is also one of the causes of hay fever. The disease manifests itself most acutely in spring and autumn periods, in summer - much less often, in winter - extremely rarely. Seasonal treatment which is a rather lengthy process, may occur due to the flowering of the above-mentioned herbs.

Spring allergies: symptoms

Spring is the time of awakening of nature and hay fever at the same time. How seasonal allergies manifest themselves:

Less commonly observed is a rash on the body, urticaria, and severely itchy dermatitis in the form of dry or weeping blisters. Such physical manifestations accompanied by weakness, headache, increased fatigue, loss of appetite and in all respects resemble ARVI, characteristic of this season.

The distinguishing feature between a viral infection and seasonal allergies is the absence elevated temperature bodies. With hay fever it is not present. It is especially dangerous in children and the elderly, as it is characterized by hidden symptoms in initial stage and the rapid development of exacerbation in the future.

Seasonal allergies, the treatment of which is a fairly lengthy process and requires considerable patience, are sometimes accompanied by migraine attacks, irritability, abdominal pain and nausea (when pollen enters the digestive system). An exacerbation of symptoms can develop in approximately 10% of allergy sufferers and require immediate medical attention. Otherwise called “Quincke’s edema” or “ giant urticaria", characterized by an abrupt onset, spontaneous course, unpredictable end caused by edema subcutaneous tissue, mucous membranes and skin. Most often this dangerous reaction susceptible upper part body, neck and face.

The seasonal period begins in early April, when birch and alder begin to bloom, and ends in May. By the way, birch pollen can spread over long distances. A person suffering from hay fever sometimes becomes amazed, realizing that he is suffering from a birch allergen, while there are no white-trunked beauties nearby.

The opinion that poplar fluff is harmful as an allergen is erroneous. Poplars that bloom early at the end of May cover the soil with white fluff, which is an excellent transport vehicle for heavy pollen settling from trees growing in the neighborhood. People who suffer from seasonal allergies generally begin to notice symptoms about a week before rush hour. How to get rid of seasonal allergies?

Autumn hay fever

The cause of autumn hay fever is the allergens activated during this period of time:

pollen of plants that bloom in the autumn season;
mold fungi that appear at high air humidity;
various mites.

Plant pollen through respiratory organs a person gets inside, causing the immune system to actively produce antibodies. Their action is aimed at attacking foreign cells and causes the release of histamines into the blood, which, in turn, cause various allergic manifestations. In addition to the main symptoms, autumn allergies can manifest as itching in the mouth and throat, which can medical practice sounds like “oral allergy syndrome.”

Seasonal allergies in a child

Children have seasonal allergies, the treatment of which should be integrated approach, can occur nonspecifically, representing a “camouflaged” hay fever and manifesting itself in:

partial redness of the eyes;
pain and congestion in the ears;
cough;
habit of constantly touching your nose.

The exact cause of these symptoms can only be determined by an allergist by using special diagnostics, capable of identifying a specific allergen.

Hay fever or ARVI?

Seasonal allergies, reviews of the treatment of which confirm its temporary nature, in some cases may still be accompanied by an increase in body temperature, which makes it much more difficult accurate diagnosis diseases, since the observed clinical picture very similar to acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections, especially at the beginning of the disease. And the patients themselves, noticing a runny nose, headache, malaise, lack of rash, mistakenly taken allergic manifestations for colds and are taken for independent treatment.

The consequence of uncontrolled use of drugs is the erasure of the symptoms inherent in hay fever, the complication of the disease and the body's manifestation of a more aggressive reaction to the present inflammatory process.

Fever is most common in children younger age along with the manifestation of hives and skin rashes. Seasonal allergies may also be accompanied by febrile conditions, especially in children 2-7 years old.

Diagnosis of hay fever

Identifying the root cause of seasonal manifestations allergic nature is carried out by interviewing the patient and comparing the timing of flowering of carminative flora, which may have provoked the appearance of this disease. A medical specialist-allergist conducts an examination of the respiratory system and nasal cavity, general clinical diagnostics with mandatory sputum and blood tests, conducting allergy tests to identify the “culprit” of physical ailment, as well as consultations with a dermatologist, immunologist, ENT doctor, and pulmonologist.

How to avoid allergies?

Seasonal allergies, whose symptoms are sudden and dangerous, are a disease that you need to be careful about. Therefore, the following recommendations apply:

avoid and exclude contact with the allergen;
take antihistamines;
carry out specific immunotherapy, during which the body “learns” to resist the allergen less intensely.

It is not recommended to use the method in a state of exacerbation, namely from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn. Winter is the most favorable time to receive a full course of treatment such dangerous disease like seasonal allergies.

Treatment, drugs

Therapy for seasonal allergies, the goal of which is to reduce the severity of symptoms and protect internal organs from the influence of allergens, depends on the period of its manifestation, the stage of the disease, the individual specifics of the patient’s body.

Treatment (drugs)

Antihistamines:

1st generation: “Diphenhydramine”, “Chloropyramine”, “Pipolfen”, “Suprastin”, “Diprazine”.
2nd generation: “Hifenadine”, “Clemastine”, “Oxatomide”, “Azelastine”, “Doxypamine”.
3rd generation: “Astemizole”, “Acrivastine”, “Norastemizole”, “Terfenadine”;.
4th generation: Loratadine, Cetirizine, Ebastine.

Their action is aimed at inhibiting the very initial stage immune defense body from an allergen. Literally immediately after taking the drug, discharge from the nasal sinuses stops, and their swelling decreases.

The 3rd and 4th generation drugs are considered the most harmless and effective. Medicines are indicated throughout the entire flowering period of plants, even if there are no allergic symptoms. Positive features are the speed of action (up to 60 minutes), high activation of their absorption digestive organs, lack of addiction.

Vasoconstrictors, well suppressing the symptoms of rhinitis and normalizing the tone of the circulatory system. These are “Galazolin”, “Sanorin”, “Otrivin”, “Oxymetazoline” - medicines that neutralize nasal congestion and relieve allergic rhinitis. The duration of treatment is no more than 7 days. Next, the doctor should recommend a more effective remedy.
Sodium promoglicate preparations, produced in the forms of sprays and drops for the eyes and nose and prescribed by a doctor for the treatment of conjunctivitis and allergic rhinitis. Reduce aggressive manifestations of the body's immune system in the nasal cavity and eyes.
Glucocorticosteroids. Prescribed in cases of ineffective action of antihistamines. Used in a short course until complete disappearance acute symptoms; The treatment is gentle and gentle. Quickly relieve inflammation. These are Rhinocort, Beconase, Betamethasone, Nazacort, Sintaris.

Traditional medicine: recipes

Seasonal allergies in August, the treatment of which is effective with traditional therapy, are successfully treated with traditional methods. It is recommended to use them only after consultation with your doctor and only during the period of easing of the disease. Use natural remedies should be used very carefully, since most of them are allergens.

An infusion based on black currant leaves and shoots is effective. Dried raw materials in the amount of 2 tablespoons need to be poured with 1.5 cups of boiling water, left for an hour, filtered, diluted with boiled water. warm water up to a volume of ½ liter. Take the infusion for a week, one tablespoon every 2 hours. This tool aimed at activating the immune system and freeing the body from toxins.

Positive effects on the body are characterized by horsetail. Pour 2 tablespoons of dry raw material into a glass of boiling water, leave to brew for half an hour, then strain. Drink hourly throughout the day. Then a 2-day break. In total, horsetail decoction should be taken for 2 weeks.

According to reviews from many who have recovered from hay fever good action has fresh or dried figs, which must be taken daily.

The product causes normalization of work digestive system, strengthening the immune system and activating metabolism. Figs should be eaten on an empty stomach, half an hour before breakfast and dinner, one fruit at a time.

A good result is shown by such a medicine for seasonal allergies as celery root juice, which contains beneficial amino acids. Healing remedy removes toxins, restores metabolism, and has a renewing effect on the composition of the blood. To prepare the juice, you should choose a freshly picked root vegetable. Drink the resulting composition one teaspoon before meals for half a month.

Ingredient in many recipes traditional medicine is honey. Allergists do not recommend treatment with such a pollen product, which can cause an allergic attack. Even if no symptoms were observed when consuming honey negative reactions, it is possible that they may manifest themselves as a symptom.

Treatment for seasonal allergies will show good results with regular use of proven recipes and great patience. Sometimes to wait positive result, herbal teas should be drunk for months, or even more. Relief of symptoms of hay fever can be observed after several weeks, depending on the individual characteristics of the patient and the intensity of the allergy.

Preventive measures

According to reviews from people who are familiar with seasonal allergies first-hand, important factor is compliance preventive measures, namely:

Avoiding contact with provoking plants. During their flowering, if possible, you should rarely go outside and reduce your walking time, especially on hot and windy days.
Closing windows and doors indoors. It is effective to cover them with a transparent, damp cloth that absorbs pollen.
Thoroughly wash your hands and entire body after coming from outside.
Moving to places with humid air (vacation by the sea or river coast) during the period of active flowering of plants.
Strengthening the immune system by consuming vitamin-containing preparations several months before the flowering period.