| Hay fever, is a type of allergic rhinitis and a group of symptoms that mainly affect the nose and the eyes. |  Zoom
 | Hay fever, is a type of allergic rhinitis and a group of symptoms that mainly affect the nose and the eyes. It is caused by airborne particles of pollen in people who are allergic to that substance.
Hay fever implies an allergic reaction to pollen, similar to the reactions that occur with allergy to mold, dust, animal dander and other inhaled allergens. The kind of pollen that can cause hay fever varies from region to region and from person to person. Generally, allergic reactions are caused by tiny pollens rather than by large, visible pollens.
The plants that are commonly responsible of hay fever are: trees, grasses and ragweed. As for the amount of pollen in the air, it tends to increase during hot, dry, windy days in which pollen particles are swept into the ground.
The symptoms of hay fever are: cough, headache, runny nose, itching nose, mouth, eyes, throat and skin, sneezing, nasal congestion, tearing eyes and sore throat. Although none of these symptoms are serious, they can be very annoying for people who suffer from this kind of allergy.
The best treatment for hay fever is the avoidance of those things that cause the symptoms. Though it might be impossible to completely avoid the allergens, there are ways to reduce exposure to them.
As for medications, short-acting antihistamines can relieve the symptoms of hay fever, but can cause drowsiness. Long-acting antihistamines, on the other hand, cause less drowsiness and work just as well. The most appropriate medication depends on the patient and the severity of the symptoms. |
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