Pollinosis
Pollinosis (or hay fever) is a whole complex of allergic reactions that occur due to pollen from different plants. Usually the manifestations of the disease will be rhinitis, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, bronchitis of an asthmoid nature. Pollinosis is characterized by swelling of the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose, as well as nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, impaired sense of smell, skin inflammation, itching and skin rashes. If you do not start treatment in time, a progressive course of the disease will begin, which can quickly turn into bronchial asthma.
The content of the article:
Risk factors
Causes of pollinosis
Symptoms and signs of pollinosis
Diagnosis of pollinosis
Treatment of pollinosis
Prevention of pollinosis
Pollinosis
Usually, pollinosis develops in childhood. The course of the disease is cyclical, escalating during the appearance of the allergen, and then goes into remission or disappears altogether.
Risk factors
As you know, most often pollinosis occurs in women. But, among residents of rural areas, it is quite rare. The number of cases may be affected by geographical, environmental and climatic components.
An important role in the formation of pollinosis is assigned to hereditary predisposition. If parents suffer from allergies, the percentage of probability that the child will also have an allergy is about 50%, if one parent is allergic, then 25%, and if the allergy has not affected the parents, the child still has a risk of the disease, this is 10%.
The risk of the disease increases if the child constantly stays in dusty and polluted rooms, eats poorly or very often suffers from viral diseases.
Causes of pollinosis
Usually, any allergic disease that develops in the case of sensitization, that is, increased sensitivity, is carried out under the influence of an environmental factor. In the case of the development of pollinosis, such a factor may be the pollen of herbs, flowers or trees. If the pollen is small (the size of which does not exceed 50 microns), then it settles, as a rule, on the skin and mucous membranes, thereby causing a response of the body.
Usually, the time of exacerbation of pollinosis coincides with the period when the flowering of herbs and trees begins. If people suffer from allergies to pollen of oak, alder, hazel, then April-May is considered an unfavorable period for them. If we talk about June-July, then at this time there is an allergy to foxtail, wheatgrass, timofeevka, that is, to cereals. August-September is a bad period for those who are sensitive to ragweed, wormwood and swan.
Of course, the very severity of clinical manifestations will depend on weather conditions. If the weather is windy, the concentration of pollen in the air can often increase, then the symptoms will increase. If the weather is rainy and wet, then a small amount of pollen is concentrated in the air, which means that the disease is less pronounced.
Symptoms and signs of pollinosis
The development of pollinosis occurs in two stages. At the first stage, only clinical symptoms of the disease appear. Often patients begin to complain of an unpleasant feeling of itching in the throat and nose, as well as ears. Itching is also possible in the trachea area. Interestingly, the eyelids of an allergic person can swell and become hyperemic. The first stage is characterized by the presence of prolonged sneezing, which is not interrupted for a long time. Another characteristic symptom may be the appearance of a mucous discharge from the nasal cavity. Often at this stage, conjunctivitis of an allergic nature develops, which is accompanied by photophobia and tearfulness.
Six hours later, from the very moment when the allergen began to have an effect, the second stage of pollinosis begins, when the inflammatory process begins to intensify. What is separated from the eyes acquires a purulent consistency. Hyperthermia is also possible here. Some patients may suffer from the appearance of urticaria, they may also suffer from difficulty breathing, which is explained by bronchial asthma. Separately, Quincke’s edema or atopic dermatitis may occur, as well as cystitis (or any other inflammation of the external genitalia).
Pollinosis is usually accompanied by the phenomenon of pollen intoxication, which implies fatigue, increased irritability, decreased appetite, depression and possible migraine attacks. If the patient swallows pollen, he may have an attack of nausea or vomiting accompanied by severe abdominal pain.
Diagnosis of pollinosis
It is possible to diagnose “pollinosis” on the basis of a characteristic anamnesis for him, determining the seasonality of exacerbations and hereditary predisposition. The data of an objective examination by an otolaryngologist and the results of other studies should also be taken into account.
During the examination of the nasal cavity, that is, during rhinoscopy, the nature of mucosal edema and the cause of narrowing of the nasal passages are identified and determined. If vasoconstrictors are dripped into the nose, then the swelling of the mucosa will still persist. If the doctor finds eosinophils on the mucous membrane, then the allergic nature of the disease will be confirmed once again. In order to identify the allergen that caused the pollinosis, a whole series of provocative tests are carried out.
Treatment of pollinosis
The first step is to minimize the contact with the allergen itself. It is best if the patient is less likely to be outside, especially when it comes to staying in dry weather. Also, doctors do not recommend opening windows. A good rule for the patient will be the constant use of air purifiers, but not all, but only those that are designed to capture and neutralize plant pollen. It is necessary to exclude from the diet all foods that may be allergenic.
In the case of mild pollinosis, the patient may be prescribed an antihistamine (for oral administration, loratadine, astemizole or fexofenadine are prescribed, and various sprays are usually prescribed for local administration). If the patient suffers from this disease of moderate severity, then glucocorticosteroids with local action are usually prescribed. These can be various nasal sprays, fluticasone, beclomethasone, mometasone and more. If a viral disease or fungal infection also occurs in parallel with pollinosis, then the use of glucocorticosteroids should be very careful.
If pollinosis is extremely severe, the doctor prescribes a combination of local glucocorticosteroids with antihistamines that have a common effect. If the patient has nasal congestion, then the doctor prescribes vasoconstrictors (xylometazoline or oxymetazoline), which should be used no longer than one week. It must always be remembered that the result of prolonged use of such drugs may be the development of drug-induced rhinitis.
With severe course of pollinosis, accompanied by narrowing of the nasal passages, surgical intervention is necessary. The operation will consist in removing the nasal conchae (partially). It can be carried out in a variety of ways, including the use of a laser or cryodestruction. However, the most effective remedy in the treatment of pollinosis is the practice of specific immunotherapy. The scheme of such treatment provides for the introduction of doses of the allergen in ascending order. The result should be a blunted sensitivity to the source of the allergy. Such therapy is usually carried out in combination with other medications.
Prevention of pollinosis
The main prevention of pollinosis will be measures that are aimed at limited contact with the allergen. So, for example, during the flowering period of the main sources of allergy, the patient should not go out into nature or go to rest in another climatic zone. The room should be ventilated only in wet weather. To prevent the allergen from entering the dwelling, a dense cloth is attached to the window, which is wetted before that. Taking a shower after coming home from a walk will also be a good prevention. During the very same period of exacerbation, the patient must often rinse his eyes and gargle in order to remove allergen particles. It is better to dry things not on the street, but indoors.
