Protective measures against hay fever

Experts recommend simple protective measures against hay fever

12/04/2011

The hay fever season is heading for its heyday. The birch pollen are already in the air and the grass pollen flight is imminent. Experts recommend that allergy sufferers protect themselves from the hay fever attacks with a few simple measures.

How allergic people best deal with the problems of hay fever, the experts have Professor Jörg Lindemann, ENT specialist and allergist at the Department of Otolaryngology and ENT Ulm. Regina Treudler from the Department of Dermatology of the University of Leipzig in conversation with the „pharmacy magazine“ explained. By adhering to a few protective measures, allergy sufferers can reduce the symptoms of hay fever relatively efficiently - but the hay fever attacks can not be completely avoided with these methods.

Regular nasal douche to relieve hay fever symptoms
Regular nasal douching as an anti-hay fever product is slightly controversial among experts, but their use should be considered in each. Because, according to Professor Jörg Lindemann, ENT specialist and allergist at the Department of Otolaryngology in Ulm, the symptoms of allergic rhinitis in hay fever patients have improved significantly, „if they rinse their nose regularly with a salt water solution.“ Although the effectiveness of the nasal douche, according to Dr. Regina Treudler seems questionable „no clinical studies on the effects of hay fever“ In any case, hay fever patients should be recommended for an experiment. Thus, Professor Lindemann was convinced that flushing the nose with a saline solution eliminates the pollen deposited on the mucous membranes. At the beginning of this year's hay fever season, Professor Harald Morr from the German Lung Foundation also recommended that allergy sufferers use nasal douches to alleviate the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. The nose should, according to the experts once a day with a physiological saline solution (0.9 grams of sodium chloride per 100 grams of water) are cleaned. The concentration should not be exceeded as far as possible otherwise irritation of the inside of the nose can occur. As soon as the symptoms of hay fever cease, the nasal douche should also be exposed, as the intensive use of nasal irrigation may also have negative consequences for the nasal mucous membranes, warned Drs. Treudler.

Avoid contact with allergenic pollen
In general: To prevent hay fever, the contact with the allergenic pollen should be minimized as far as possible. Street clothes should not be taken into the bedroom as the pollen can adhere to them and when the clothes are stored in the bedroom can become a burden at night as well, the experts explained. „Also on the clothes pollen hang that get into the bedroom and cause problems at night“, stressed Regina Treudler. According to the allergologist, street clothes are best kept in a separate room and other clothes are used while in the house. As soon as hay fever patients return home, they should change their clothes and put on their pollen-free housing cloakroom, the experts explained. In addition, before going to bed hair washing is announced. „We recommend daily hair washing as a useful secondary prophylaxis, so for allergy sufferers who should avoid 'their' allergen“, stressed Professor Lindemann. Since in the hair especially many pollen settle and these are taken to bed, if the hair is not least rinsed, the evening shampooing belongs in the opinion of the experts to the mandatory program before going to bed.

Hay fever patients should ventilate only at low pollen load
Also, the ventilation of the apartment will be well thought out for hay fever patients. In no case should be aired during the day in dry weather, as there are usually most pollen in the air. For hay fever sufferers airing during or shortly after a rain shower is best because the pollen load of the air is then relatively low, the experts explained. In addition to the weather, the ideal time for airing also depends heavily on the place of residence, since „Pollen (...) in the countryside at a different time of day than in the city“ fly, stressed Professor Lindemann. Thus, the pollen load of the air in the countryside, especially in the early morning hours (four to six clock) is particularly high, whereas the urban pollen mainly between 18 and 24 clock in the air. Therefore, in the country is the best time to air more in the evening between 19 and 24 clock, while in the city preferably in the morning between six and eight o'clock should be aired, explained the allergist. In the rest of the day, the windows, according to the expert, however, should remain strictly closed - it was the, it has rained.

Pollen filter to protect against hay fever attacks
Also pollen filters can contribute to the prevention of hay fever attacks, since these „depending on the quality of the filter (s) to catch pollen and other particles quite effectively“ can, explained Treudler. Thus, especially for allergy sufferers who are traveling a lot by car, urgently recommend a suitable filter. For example, Professor Lindemann also considers the pollen filters a sensible protective measure, and according to the expert, modern cars with air conditioning are already equipped with such filters anyway. According to Professor Lindemann, so that the pollen filters can also have their effect „very important (...) to have the filters changed regularly, otherwise they will shut up and cause nothing more“. Pollen filters in the vacuum cleaner can also be a significant relief for hay fever patients, according to the allergists.

Treatment of the causes of hay fever
Treatment approaches that are not based on the symptoms of hay fever, but on the causes of the allergic reaction, were by Dr. med. Regina Treudler and Professor Lindemann in conversation with the „pharmacy magazine“ not stated. But here, too, there are numerous methods that promise a clear improvement for those affected up to the complete avoidance of hay fever attacks. At the beginning of this year's hay fever season, the allergist and specialist in pulmonary and bronchial medicine, Dr. med. Wolfram Feußner, explains that hypersensitization is a relatively promising method of treatment for hay fever patients who only respond to individual allergens and still have good lung function. Although the hyposensitization involves a considerable amount of time for those affected, they have „helped many patients“, stressed the specialist. Also in the naturopathy, most measures are more likely to be used to correct the causes of hay fever than to treat the symptoms. For example, promising treatment success has already been achieved here with relaxation procedures, magnetic field / bioresonance procedures, autologous blood therapies, herbal therapies, self-suggestion, acupuncture and homeopathy.

In case of persistent hay fever, urgently consult a doctor
However, if the symptoms of hay fever do not decrease in the course of the naturopathic treatment, a visit to the doctor is recommended in any case because the allergic reactions in an untreated hay fever from the upper to lower respiratory tract and the bronchi can pass and here at worst asthma cause. Dr. Feussner explained that the allergic inflammations that occur in the course of hay fever, when not treated, often become chronic and jump to the lungs and bronchi. (Fp)

Also read about hay fever:
Grass pollen flight is imminent
Pollen allergy & hay fever
Natural healing: ear acupuncture
Warning about Ambrosia pollen
Hypnotherapy: Therapy in hypnosis
Therapy options for bronchial asthma

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