The first pollen is in the air

Beware of pollen allergy: The first pollen are already on the way

07/02/2014

Pollen allergy in February? Most people think of pollen in warmer seasons. But even at cool temperatures, the pollen already fly through the air. Hazel and alder flower in February and spread their fine dust. People with a pollen allergy should therefore already be prepared. But it does not always have to be cortisone or an antihistamine. In naturopathy, there are a variety of procedures available to help alleviate the pollen allergic.

Pollen can cause allergic asthma
In a pollen allergy, colloquially referred to as hay fever, certain pollen are classified by the immune system as a threat. This leads to a defense reaction of the immune cells. Typical symptoms include redness, itching, sneezing and runny nose. Background of redness is improved blood flow to the immune cells „move up“ to facilitate. The itching should direct the attention to the affected area and the sneezing and the increased formation of mucus transport the troublemakers (allergens) out of the body. However, it can also cause symptoms such as allergic asthma with severe respiratory distress. This can be life-threatening and must be treated in any case. „This is what affects the lower respiratory tract, "explains biologist Anja Schwalfenberg from the German Allergy and Asthma Association (DAAB) in Mönchengladbach to the news agency „dpa“.

A pollen allergy can occur at any age. Often, it changes in the course of life. Basically, sufferers react very differently to the allergenic substances. „There is no general threshold for the onset of symptoms, "says Uwe E. Berger of the Medical University of Vienna to the news agency, adding that sensitivities to allergens are changing over the pollen season, and pollutants can also make pollens more aggressive DAAB.

Currently, allergy sufferers are particularly hard to cope with the pollen from hazelnut shrubs and alder trees. „Theoretically, pollen is transportable over a thousand kilometers, "reports Berger, the pollen expert in charge of the aerobiology and pollen information research group of the European Aeroallergen Network (EAN), which collects and analyzes data from around 400 pollen traps.

Diagnosis of pollen allergy is necessary to identify allergens
„The best therapy for pollen allergy sufferers is avoiding the allergen, "reports Berger, although pollen information and forecasts help, but often strict prevention is very difficult, as pollen can fly virtually anywhere.

When suspecting a pollen allergy, the allergenic substance should first be identified as part of an allergy diagnosis. „This is done through a skin test or a blood test, "says Schwalfenberg. „Both test methods are meaningful ", confirms also Professor Karl-Christian Bergmann, chairman of the foundation German pollen information service and allergist at the allergy center of the Berlin Charité opposite the news agency. „They show if there are any antibodies that show sensitization. "If the symptoms appear in addition to the antibodies, it is an allergy.

According to the DAAB, about 20 percent of the population in Germany is affected by a pollen allergy. It is still unclear why some people develop an allergy, but others do not. An hereditary predisposition is obvious if one or both parents suffer from a pollen allergy. „Without genes, the probability of an allergy is seven to eight percent. "Smoking and passive smoking promote the development of an allergy, breastfeeding of infants until the fourth month of life, according to the experts, on the other hand, and he advises parents to children Do not isolate too much from bacteria in the first two years because the immune system needs to be challenged at this stage of life. „In any case, the absolute avoidance of bacteria makes no sense, "says Bergmann.

Another problem with pollen allergies concerns so-called cross-allergies. „One reacts also on different foodstuffs, with a Haselpollenallergie about also on apples ", explain Schwalfenberg.According to Bergmann about every second Pollenalleriker also suffers from a cross allergy.

Therapies against pollen allergy
A pollen allergy can greatly restrict the affected person in everyday life. A treatment with drugs, called antihistamines, aims to relieve the symptoms. Although this means relief for the patient, it only leads to improvement in the short term. In addition, many agents get unwanted side effects from the remedies. „Antihistamines work against all forms of allergic rhinitis, "reports Bergmann. Cortisone is usually prescribed only for severe allergies, and most patients use a spray for topical application.

Anyone who wants to get rid of his pollen allergy on a permanent basis can have a so-called hyposensitization performed by an allergist. As part of a three-year therapy, the patient is administered the smallest amounts of the allergen in order to slowly adapt the immune system to the substance. The dose of allergen is continuously increased in small steps.

Naturopathy with pollen allergies
In natural medicine, a pollen allergy is not considered a problem of the nose, but rather of the entire organism. Consequently, naturopathic therapies are geared to convert the overreaction of the immune system to a particular substance back to the healthy regulatory capacity and thus to achieve lasting relief. Homeopathy, autologous blood therapy, Bach flower therapy, intestinal sanitation, hypnosis, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) such as acupuncture as well as the therapy with nutrients are successfully applied in naturopathic practices in a pollen allergy. (Ag)

Picture credits: Thomas Blenkers