After the winter, we can finally see the sun again! It’s getting warmer, the birds are chirping and the flower and grass are blooming again. What for some people is a reason to finally leave their house, is a reason to stay at home for others , because with spring comes the pollen. Around 14,8% of Germans will suffer from hay fever in their lifetime, that’s about 12 million people!
The allergic reaction is mainly caused by pollen from so-called wind-pollinated plants. These are not pollinating by attaching pollen to insects, but rather by spreading pollen with the wind. This type of plants produce a particularly large amount of pollen, which increases the probability of pollination by the wind.
Most allergenic pollen comes from trees, such as birch, alder and hazel, as well as grasses and herbs.
The symptoms range from acute sneezing attacks, a runny or stuffy nose, conjunctivitis with redness and tearing of the eyes, itching in the throat and ears, to a strong urge to cough. However, general symptoms like headaches, tiredness and sleep disorders can also be due to a pollen allergy.
The diagnosis is made by the doctor after a medical history interview and physical examination. In some cases, a provocation test or a lung function test is also required.
As it is not always possible to completely avoid the triggering allergens, the symptoms are also treated as needed with medication or with the help of specific immunotherapy (hyposensitization). Anti-histamines and cortisone are mainly used for drug treatment.
Do you take medication regularly? mediteo reminds you to take it on time. Despite the pollen – with correct, regular treatment, you too could hopefully enjoy the first rays of sunshine!
Sources
- https://edoc.rki.de/handle/176904/1479
- allergien_deutsch.pdf (rki.de)
- https://www.ecarf.org/info-portal/allergien/pollenallergie/
- Allergiediagnostik in der Praxis: Was der Hausarzt wissen sollte (aerzteblatt.de)
- Duale Reihe Dermatologie. Moll I, Hrsg. 9., vollständig überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage. Stuttgart: Thieme; 2024. doi:10.1055/b000000638
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