Pollen problems
JOHANNESURG – It is the height of the pollen season and there are many triggers and factors that could worsen hay fever symptoms.
Hay fever season is upon us with it affecting about 30 per cent of South Africans and the biggest culprit might not be pollen after all.
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According to Dr Mike Levin, allergy adviser to Pharma Dynamics, for decades hay fever sufferers have been led to believe that their condition is brought on by the amount of pollen in the air, but there is a host of other triggers too.
“Pollen could in many cases elicit a severe allergic reaction, but sufferers will be surprised to learn that their nasal allergies might not have anything to do with pollen spores. This is why pinpointing where and when an allergy occurs is vital,” said Levin.
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He stated that the treatment may be the same in many cases, but the key to tackling an allergy was to avoid the source.
“This can only be done if the trigger has been identified correctly with a good history and confirmatory tests, such as skin prick tests or Immuno CAP.
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“Unfortunately, many in our country are unable to access allergy specialists and laboratory tests to get the right diagnosis and treatment.”
He said that there was a huge misconception that a person that sneezed a lot had pollen-induced hay fever, but it could be due to other allergens such as dust mites, pets or cockroaches.
Levin said the most common inhaled allergens were:
- Different types of pollen (from trees, grass, weeds and flowers).
- House dust mites.
- Cat and dog hair.
- Cockroaches.
- Fungal spores.
“Hay fever symptoms, however, vary from person to person, but typically include an itchy, runny or blocked nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, scratchy throat, postnasal drip and/or fatigue,” said Levin.
Triggers which could worsen symptoms include:
- Strong perfumes and cold air.
- Red wine due to the sulphates, and alcohol which is a vasodilator that widens blood vessels.
- Certain fruits and vegetables which contain proteins similar to those found in pollen.
- Swimming in chlorinated pools.
