How to fight pollen allergy effectively

Pollen allergy arrives?

What are you looking forward to good weather, right? The arrival of spring is all joy if it were not for the happy allergies. Pollen allergy, in particular, affects about 4 million Spaniards. Its peak occurs from April to July

Symptoms of pollen allergy

Sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion … Many times the symptoms of a pollen allergy are identical to those of a cold. But there are keys that will help you distinguish them. Normally, the allergy is accompanied by itchy eyes and never causes fever or body pain.

Pollen levels

Half of the allergic ones are it to the grasses, that is a family of plants between which the wheat, corn, barley, date and rye stand out. 33% of patients are allergic to some trees such as the famous banana, cypress, chestnut, oak, birch, fir or pine. There are also allergy to herbaceous pollen: ragweed, mugwort or parietaria.

You can check the pollen levels of your city here.

Pollen allergy diagnosis

If you suspect that you have a pollen allergy, the first thing to do is to have a doctor diagnose you. You will do this with a physical examination or with a skin test. This test, called prick-test, consists of reproducing the allergic reaction on a very small scale by putting a drop of the allergen and seeing if it reacts.

How to relieve pollen allergy

Your doctor may recommend treating the allergy with a vaccine, which is able to cure it in 85% of cases, or simply remedies to relieve symptoms, such as antihistamines, eye drops or nasal sprays.

Home remedies for pollen allergy

The best way to combat pollen allergy symptoms is to reduce your exposure to the pollen itself. We explain the most effective measures and we propose some natural treatment to alleviate the symptoms.

Best indoor

Avoid long walks outside or playing sports outside. The peak months (April - July) better go to the gym than to run to the park. Pollution doesn't help because it further enhances the potency of the pollen.

You eat it, it counts

Foods rich in vitamins A, B, C and E and in fatty acids such as omega 3 (endives, spinach, banana, oranges, cereals and fish - salmon or horse mackerel) help to combat allergy symptoms.

Take care of your eyes

If you use contact lenses, it is better to choose to wear glasses on the days you notice the allergy the most.

Pollen free clothing

Dry your clothes indoors or in the dryer. This will prevent it from filling with pollen.

40% humidity

Keep the humidity in your house above 40%, a humidifier can help you. It is important that it is also an air purifier with an active carbon filter.

Natural remedy

If your nose itches a lot, chop an onion and put it on your nightstand to sleep. Its sulfur components help to soften the nose and throat.

Pollen free nose

The hairs on the nose are a barrier that prevents pollen (and bacteria …) from entering, but if we do not wash it, it will become overloaded and will eventually enter. Better to keep "the filter" clean. That is why it is very good to do frequent nasal washes with serum or with warm salt water.

Clean house

Close windows after airing to prevent outdoor pollen from circulating happily around your home.

And your clothes too

When you get home, change your clothes as pollen sticks to your clothes.

Nasal itching, watery eyes, sneezing, respiratory problems … Pollen allergy affects about 4 million Spaniards. Pollination of most plants occurs in spring and summer, so the peak of allergy to pollen occurs between April and July.

According to the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, allergies increase 2% each year. One of the causes may be climate change, which causes pollination periods to lengthen.

If you live in a city, you are at higher risk of allergy to pollens because pollution from traffic causes plants to “stress” and generate more aggressive pollen.

Pollen levels

The worst days are dry and sunny, as there is a higher concentration of pollen. And it is even worse if the wind blows because the allergen more easily enters the eyes, nose or mouth. On the contrary, just when it has just rained the pollen concentration is lower. You can check the pollen levels in your city here.

What are you allergic to if you have a pollen allergy

Trees 33% of patients are allergic to tree pollen. There are 6 families of trees that cause allergies: betulaceae (birch, hazelnut), cupresaceae (cypress, juniper), phagaceae (chestnut, oak), oleaceae (olive, ash), pineapple (fir, pine), plantain (banana). Period: from January to June.
Grasses 52% of patients are allergic to grass pollen. There are 2 main families of allergy-causing grasses: cereals (wheat, corn, barley) and grass grasses (dateyle, timothy grass, rye). Period: from April to September.
Herbaceous. 27% of patients are allergic to herbaceous pollen. There are 3 herbaceous families that cause allergies: ragweed, mugwort and parietaria, and quinoas. Period: all year round.

Symptoms of pollen allergy

Nasal itching
Itchy throat
Itchy palate
Sneezing
Nasal congestion
Tearing
Snot
Gritty sensation in the eyes

Diagnosis and treatment

An allergist will examine the organs most affected by the allergy (skin, nose, eyes, lungs, etc.) to see the repercussions of the allergy.

You may also have a skin test, the prick-test. It consists of reproducing the allergic reaction on a very small scale by putting a drop of the allergen (pollen, bee venom, mite) and making a small puncture in the center of the drop to see how our skin reacts. If it seems that a mosquito has bitten us, it is an allergy.

Many allergy sufferers who suffer from mild symptoms do not go to the doctor, which is inadvisable since these small discomforts can increase in principle (after the third year of the onset of the allergy, the symptoms tend to intensify) and lead to more serious problems such as respiratory distress. or asthma. In fact, pollen allergy sufferers are estimated to have three times the risk of asthma than non-allergy sufferers.

Allergy shot

Allergy vaccine or immunotherapy is the only effective allergy therapy. In 85% of the cases they manage to cure them. To achieve this, an extract of those allergens that cause reaction is administered, in a controlled way and in small doses, in such a way that the body creates specific antibodies that block the response that occurs when exposed to what causes allergy.

Allergy pills

Antihistamines as well as other medications such as eye drops, nasal sprays, etc., are prescribed to alleviate the symptoms caused by allergies, but only the vaccine can prevent them from being triggered.

How to relieve pollen allergy

The best way to combat pollen allergy symptoms is to reduce your exposure to the pollen itself. We explain the most effective measures and we propose some natural treatment to alleviate the symptoms.

Do not play sports outdoors. Avoid long walks outside or playing sports outside. The peak months (April - July) better go to the gym than to run to the park. Pollution doesn't help because it further enhances the potency of the pollen.
Anti-allergy diet. Foods rich in vitamins A, B, C and E and in fatty acids such as omega 3 (endives, spinach, banana, oranges, cereals and fish (salmon or horse mackerel) help to combat allergy symptoms.
Glasses, not contact lenses. If you use contact lenses, it is better to choose to wear glasses on the days you notice the allergy the most.
Don't shop outside. Dry your clothes indoors or in the dryer. This will prevent it from filling with pollen.
Suitable environment. Keep the humidity in your house above 40%, a humidifier can help you.
Clean Air. It is also very useful to have an air purifier with an active carbon filter.
Onion to breathe. If your nose itches a lot, chop an onion and put it on your nightstand to sleep. Its sulfur components help to soften the nose and throat.
Nasal washes. Clean your nose frequently with serum or warm salt water to keep the "nasal filter" free of pollen.
Ventilate for just a little while. Close windows after airing so too much pollen doesn't get into your home.
Houseclothes. When you get home, change your clothes as pollen sticks to your clothes.

Article advised by:

Dr. Francisco Feo, Coordinator of the Aerobiology Committee of the SEAIC (Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology).
Pedro Ojeda, Communication Coordinator of the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology.
Carmen Vidal, Head of the Allergy Service of the Santiago de Compostela University Hospital Complex.
Pilar Cots, Allergologist at the Núñez Balboa Medical Center in Madrid.