Do you often feel like you have a cold? Maybe it's hay fever!

Do you also sneeze often? Do you have a runny nose, a stuffy nose, and red, itchy eyes? Many people think at times like this that they have another cold. But if these symptoms persist and don't go away after a week or two, or if they appear and recur at certain times of the year, it may not be a common cold. Today, we'll talk about hay fever, a common but poorly understood condition among many people.

What is Hay Fever?

First of all, even though it has the word “ fever ” in its name, hay fever is not a fever. It is actually an allergy . In medical terms, we call it ‘allergic rhinitis’.

Simply put, what happens here is that our body's immune system overreacts to things in our environment that are normally harmless to the body (for example, pollen , dust).

This can come in two main ways:

1. Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: This type occurs only during certain times of the year. For example, this condition may occur during the flowering season of certain trees or when grass pollen levels are high.

2. Perennial Allergic Rhinitis: This type can occur at any time of the year. It is mainly caused by things inside the house. For example, house dust, small dust mites in pillows and mattresses, small particles and hair that fall off the skin of pets (dogs, cats), as well as mold that grows in damp places such as bathrooms and basements.

Why do we get hay fever? What are the symptoms?

If you have hay fever, here's what happens: When something harmless like pollen or dust that you breathe in enters your body, your immune system thinks, "Oh, a dangerous enemy has entered."

Then, to fight that “enemy,” the body releases large amounts of chemicals like `( Histamine )` and `(Leukotrienes)` into the bloodstream. These chemicals cause the lining of the nose, eyes, and throat to swell,Allergy symptoms appear.

These are the symptoms that are commonly seen:

• Continuous sneezing.
• A stuffy nose or a watery discharge from the nose.
• Cough.
• Itching, redness, and tearing of the eyes.
• An itchy feeling in the mouth, throat, or ears.
• Postnasal drip is a feeling of mucus coming down the back of the throat.
• Dark circles under the eyes (also called `allergic shiners`).

Due to nasal congestion, the veins in the sinuses around the nose can swell, causing discoloration under the eyes. Sometimes, this swelling in the nose can block the sinuses and cause sinusitis. Also, nasal polyps can form, and sometimes nosebleeds can occur.

Hay fever is often hereditary . If your parents or siblings have other allergies, you are more likely to develop the condition. People with asthma or eczema are also at higher risk of developing hay fever.

When do you need to see a doctor?

Many people try to live with these symptoms. But it doesn't have to be that way. With proper treatment, these symptoms can be well controlled . Therefore, if you have any of the following conditions, be sure to see your doctor.

• If these allergy symptoms are interfering with your daily life and work .
• If you are not getting any relief from over-the-counter medicines, or if those medicines are causing side effects such as drowsiness.
• If you have other health problems, such as asthma, frequent sinus infections, or nasal polyps.
• If these symptoms persist and do not improve.

Seeing a doctor and starting treatment as soon as possible is the best way to control your allergies.

Treatment methods and medications

There are various treatments available to help manage your symptoms. Your doctor will choose the treatment that is best for you.

Avoiding things that cause allergies

This is the most important thing. You can get great relief by identifying what you are allergic to and staying away from those things as much as possible.

Types of drugs

The table below lists some of the main types of medications used to control hay fever.

Immunotherapy

This is a slightly different treatment. It involves injecting very small amounts of the allergen you are allergic to over time, allowing your body to become accustomed to it. This doesn't work for all allergies, but it is very effective for things like pollen and dust mites. This treatment requires weekly visits to the doctor and can take several years. This treatment is also available as a pill that is placed under the tongue (Sublingual Immunotherapy).

Things you can do to protect yourself from allergies

In addition to receiving treatment, it is also very important to stay away from things that trigger allergies.

If you have allergies to outdoor things like pollen:

• Stay indoors as much as possible during high pollen counts and on windy days.
• Keep the windows closed. Use an `Air Conditioner (AC)` if possible.
• Wear glasses or sunglasses when going out.
• Wear a mask if you are working outdoors.

If you are allergic to things like house dust and mold:

• Use dust mite-proof covers for pillows and mattresses.
• Always wash bed sheets and pillowcases in hot water .
• Keep the humidity in your home low.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after handling pets. Do not let pets into your bedroom .
• If possible, use tile, wood, or linoleum flooring instead of carpet.
• It is best to use a vacuum cleaner with a `HEPA filter`.

Another thing is to rinse your nose with saline water . This will reduce nasal congestion and wash away allergens and mucus inside the nose. For this, you can use saline solution that you can buy at the pharmacy or salt water made at home from boiled water. But ask your doctor for advice about this too.

Hay Fever, Allergic Rhinitis, Allergies, Sneezing, Nasal Congestion, Itchy Eyes, Sinhala, Sri Lanka