Autumn can be different too. She does not immediately become slushy and dank. Especially here in the south. In September-October, autumn is still very warm, rather similar to northern summer, only drier. At this time, flowers are still full of pollen, and grasses are actively blooming, ready to scatter their microseeds. In general, there are enough reasons for an allergy to pollen - polynosis - not only in spring and summer, but also in autumn.
At the beginning of September, allergies to the sun (photodermatosis), to vegetables and fruits, of which there are a lot right now, are still relevant. There remains a danger of bites from various insects. All these troubles are not as harmless as they seem at first glance.
The first defense against this scourge is regular wet cleaning and ventilation of the room. Don’t forget to also knock dust out of blankets, carpets and vacuum upholstered furniture more often. Just be sure to wear a medical mask to avoid ingesting that same infectious substance.
Interestingly, it is at the end of September and October that doctors notice an increase in patients with asthma. Many people attribute this to a period of high dust mite activity.
As autumn enters its wet phase, it's time for mold, another dangerous allergen. Its spores can easily become airborne. Unventilated bathrooms, damp basements and corners are real “oases” for mold fungi.
Those who like to stir up piles of damp autumn leaves and inhale their smell are also at risk. “Leaf allergy” is nothing more than an allergy to mold fungi and their spores.
The “time of mold” in nature will pass with the onset of the first frost. But in warm, damp apartments and houses, mold runs the risk of lingering for a long time. Therefore, the fight against it becomes a matter not even of aesthetics, but of maintaining health. This is especially true for the health of children: mycoallergoses (fungal allergies) are most severe in them. Children may simultaneously experience respiratory, gastrointestinal, and skin symptoms.
With the arrival of the first frosts, which usually occur in November, people who are allergic to wool are at risk, because at this time it is time to wear woolen items - sweaters, scarves, etc. It’s also a difficult time for those suffering from cold allergies. There is only one piece of advice here - try to have as little contact as possible with the “causes” of these ailments. In the first case, replace wool with warm synthetics and cotton; in the second, try to protect all open areas on the body as much as possible: do not go without hats, scarves and mittens, keep your whole body warm.
Well, it seems like we’ve gone through the entire autumn allergy calendar.
Now let's figure out how to distinguish allergies from colds? In the fall, these two diseases are often confused - their symptoms are very similar: nasal congestion, runny nose, cough.
And yet it is possible to distinguish these sores from each other. Firstly, respiratory infections are most often accompanied by an increase in body temperature, while allergies almost never cause such a reaction. Secondly, if you assume what you might be allergic to and try not to come into contact with this substance, the symptoms will disappear without pills and injections. A cold will respond to anti-cold medications, and not to lifestyle changes. Allergic reactions are often accompanied by itching – the nose and eyes itch. With colds, the sensations are somewhat different.
If you are an experienced allergy sufferer, then you already know how to prepare for the dangerous season. What antihistamines stock up on what to avoid. For beginners, if you experience allergy symptoms, you should immediately go to the doctor. Don’t wait until Time-X ends on its own, but start healing. But what kind of allergies are there - some can turn into dangerous ones? chronic illness, such as asthma. Or even worse, lead to anaphylactic shock - the most severe manifestation of an allergic reaction that threatens life.
Jana Kott
Allergies are one of the most common diseases on Earth. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, about 40% of our planet's population suffers from allergies. In modern society, when environment gradually, every year, it becomes more and more polluted, products and things contain a large number of chemical additives and synthetic materials, the risk of allergies is very high. Heredity also has a significant influence, so if one of the parents in the family has allergies, the risk of developing allergies in the child is 33%, and if both parents have allergies it is 70%.
An allergy is a specific (immune) reaction of the body to the most common substances, such as food, wool, dust, and household chemicals. For most people, these substances do not cause allergies or any body reactions. But not for an allergy sufferer.
The mechanism of allergy manifestation in in general terms looks like that. As soon as an allergen substance enters the human body, the immune system perceives it as a danger and begins to produce antibodies. This process promotes the production of histamines that enter the blood. It is histamines that cause a runny nose, itchy eyes, cough and other allergy symptoms.
Traditionally, the period of “torment” for allergy sufferers is considered to be spring—the time of active flowering. However, no less dangers await them now. What allergens cause trouble in the fall?
Ambrosia and Quinoa
A number of plants bloom very late. These traditionally include ragweed, whose “blooming” period occurs in August. Moreover, this process often continues into September. The pollen itself, especially in urban environments, can spread over hundreds of kilometers.
May cause irritation and other characteristic symptoms allergies and pollen of other late weeds: nettle, quinoa or wormwood. It settles on the ground and is able to remain there long time(if there is no rain that will wet it). And just a small gust of wind is enough for it to rise again, and for the person suffering from allergies to inhale it.
Fungi and bacteria
Autumn is a time of rain and slush. Fallen leaves that are not removed decay and rot - and create excellent conditions for the rapid spread of bacteria and fungi. In addition, general dampness also affects the microclimate of entrances, where one of the most dangerous allergens - black mold - can easily form.
When you inhale, fungi and their spores enter the respiratory tract and begin to actively multiply there. It is extremely difficult to get rid of them, because... by simple means and you can’t wash them off with rinses. In addition, they release strong toxic substances that cause headache And allergic reactions. One of the most serious complications that black mold can lead to is bronchial asthma.
Apartment dust
Poorly washed floors, carpets with long pile, large soft toys are sources of dust, and therefore dust mites, which become more active at the beginning of the heating season, when apartments become warm and comfortable. The difficulty is that it is difficult to remove these pathogens, to the human eye they are not noticeable, but lead to very serious problems.
When inhaled, dust enters not only the nose, but also the lungs, causing both characteristic allergy symptoms and coughing and wheezing. And this is also a direct path to the development of chronic pulmonary diseases.
Food products
Autumn is a time of natural decline in immunity. Rain, decreased daylight hours, cold - all this causes poor health, and as a consequence - allergic attacks. The immune system reacts more sharply to pathogens, but it does not have the strength to fight. As a result, any “forbidden” product - milk, nuts, citrus fruits - can lead to an unpredictable reaction.
Food allergens enter not only the mucous membranes, but also into the stomach, and then into the blood, which leads to complex problems: nausea, bloating, and digestive disorders.
How to escape from autumn allergies?
Antihistamines and decongestants are traditionally used for treatment, in difficult cases- prescription corticosteroids. Naturally, all prescriptions should be made by an allergist, based on the patient’s health condition and the severity of the situation.
It is recommended to pay special attention to prevention. For example, it is worth worrying in advance about strengthening the immune system before the onset of autumn. You should start with correcting your diet and creating a program. physical exercise, a course of vitamins won’t hurt either.
You also need to monitor the hygiene of the room: keep the windows closed to prevent pollen from entering the apartment, and ensure regular wet cleaning of the floors.
You will also have to adjust your walking schedule depending on what pathogen the person reacts to. If you are looking for pollen, go for a walk in the rain; if you are looking for fungi, go outside only in sunny weather. If on the street strong wind, it is better to stay at home if possible. After all, its gusts lift pollen, fungal spores and dust from the streets upward, and the chances of inhaling several types of allergens at once are very high.
Many people are interested in the question of how difficult it is to tolerate allergies in the fall, what they cause and how to get rid of them. To answer all these questions, you need to understand in detail what exactly an allergy can be triggered by and what consequences it has.
Autumn is a mysterious and wonderful time. During this period, nature begins to gradually go into winter sleep, the leaves fall off, and the air becomes much cooler. But not everyone tolerates this period of the year well; many begin to notice, for example, an exacerbation of chronic diseases, as well as general deterioration health. In autumn, various allergic reactions may occur. And, by the way, autumn allergies are very different from summer or spring allergies. Although the symptoms remain the same.
To understand why allergies begin to appear in the fall, you should understand what the main pathogens may be during this period and who is at risk.
As you know, the main cause is considered to be plant pollen, which enters the air during the fall of leaves and flowers. And, by the way, this applies mainly to those plants that reproduce in the spring. They continue to bloom at this time of year, their pollen gets into the air, causing people to inhale it and begin to feel allergy symptoms.
How do allergies occur in autumn?
Important! Pollen is one of the main causes of unpleasant sensations.
But how can you understand what exactly you are allergic to in the fall? You should know in advance which plants are the most dangerous in this regard and try to avoid close contact with them.
But first things first. To begin with, let's say that as soon as pollen enters the human body, it immediately begins to be perceived by him as something foreign and dangerous. As a result, the body begins to produce special antibodies, which must fight these same dangers. As a result of this struggle, histamine is produced in the human body, it quickly enters the bloodstream and becomes the cause of a runny nose, tearfulness, itching and other unpleasant symptoms.
Important! Most often, allergies appear in children in the fall.
The risk group includes people who are prone to the same reaction at other times of the year. To avoid these unpleasant sensations, you should take care in advance to take anti-allergy medications and limit contact with the irritant.
Unfortunately, very often there are situations when various types of drugs do not show sufficient effectiveness, and a person still suffers from the symptoms of the disease.
What causes an allergic reaction?
Based on what is said above, it becomes clear that the main reason is the plants that bloom during this period. The main one is considered to be ambrosia. Of course, most often it blooms in August, but sometimes this process takes longer. Somewhere around the second month of autumn. It is ragweed that causes allergies for a third of people who suffer from of this disease. The danger is that its seeds float up to 1 km from the place where the plant directly grows.
But other greens also cause this reaction; very often the irritant is nothing more than dampness. It’s not even so much dampness as its consequences – mold. The danger in this case is that its spores are very easily transported through the air. Therefore, you should be wary of places where it is dark and humid, this is where mold appears. For example, this could be a basement or a bathroom. And also piles of leaves that are in the courtyards of houses and on the street. It is in them that mold appears due to dampness and spreads in the air.
Important! Very often, allergies in spring and autumn appear due to dust mites.
In this case, the danger is that he lives in apartments and houses in which he is especially comfortable and warm in the fall. The insect resembles a spider and takes root well; it very easily penetrates the respiratory tract and often causes a runny nose or wheezing.
How to protect children from allergies?
When allergies start in the fall, you want to get rid of them as soon as possible, especially if we are talking about a child. Children have a particularly difficult time this reaction. It is children who most often begin to experience negative consequences.
In this case, the bad thing is that autumn is the time when children begin to actively communicate with each other, they go to school, and there are a lot of allergy triggers there. It is no secret that there is a lot of dampness, mold and mildew in school premises, and there are dust mites. But these are not all the reasons that can cause deterioration in health. Chalk, with which children come into close contact, is no less dangerous. Children with asthma should be especially careful; they are more susceptible to allergic outbreaks than others.
It’s also worth talking about food allergies. She has one important feature. The thing is that it can occur at any time of the year. The complexity of this disease lies in the fact that children cannot independently control the amount and type of food consumed. For example, if a child has a negative reaction to eggs, peanuts or milk, he can buy products containing these ingredients in the school cafeteria and eat them. Allergies in children often worsen in the fall due to this.
This is why allergies in the fall are very dangerous, and you need to know exactly what they cause. And try to protect yourself and your children from possible consequences.
How to recognize the disease?
Fall allergies have almost the same symptoms that occur in spring or summer. The symptoms are very similar, so a patient who often suffers from these unpleasant manifestations will easily find possible deviations. First of all it appears:
- runny nose;
- dry cough;
- eyes begin to water;
- noted severe itching on the mucous membrane;
- appear dark circles under the eyes.
But we should not forget that symptoms may vary depending on what exactly caused the irritation. For example, if we are talking about ragweed, vomiting may begin, itching even appears in the throat and mouth. By the way, the same signs appear if there is an allergy to banana, melon, and others various vegetables and fruits.
You should be wary of complications that can easily arise. First of all, asthma or difficulty breathing may appear. These symptoms can be life-threatening.
Of course, any allergy is dangerous and unpleasant. But food intolerance is the most difficult to tolerate. In this case, the patient begins to feel colic in the abdomen, vomiting appears, coughing and diarrhea. And if it comes to allergic shock, the tongue, lips and throat may swell, and the person will simply begin to choke. Such a strong reaction leads to the death of the patient. Therefore, if an allergy exacerbation begins in the fall, you should immediately contact an experienced doctor and take emergency measures for treatment.
How to correctly diagnose the disease?
Today there are a number professional ways, with which you can diagnose a specific type of allergic reaction. Seasonal allergies in the fall cause a lot of inconvenience both to the patient himself and to everyone around him. It is for this reason that it is very important to recognize the disease in time. The first step when you notice symptoms is to immediately make an appointment with an allergist. The doctor must study the patient's entire medical history and prescribe a special test that determines what exactly causes such a reaction. The test itself is very simple, it consists in the following: specific pathogen is applied to a small area of the patient's skin or just under the skin, and then the doctor analyzes the patient's response. It is clear that after the initial examination, the doctor already understands what exactly such a reaction could cause, so these particular pathogens are applied to the skin.
But there is another way that will help determine what exactly you are allergic to in the fall. It's comparative new method diagnostics - radioallergosorbent test. It consists in the fact that the patient donates blood, and then, in laboratory conditions, specialists determine how many antibodies react to a specific pathogen. Most often it is used to diagnose a food allergen; in this case, it is impossible to apply the pathogen to the skin.
How to treat the disease?
Once it is determined what exactly the allergy began to in the fall, you can begin directly to treat the disease.
But in this process it is very important to understand that each symptom is treated separately. For example, if we are talking about a runny nose, then you should take one of these medications:
- antihistamine;
- nasal aerosol - corticosteroid;
- medications that relieve swelling.
If we talk about antihistamines, they can be taken in combination with decongestant medications. They are dripped not only into the nose, but also into the eyes. In addition to all the above medications, you must undergo a course of injections. A certain dose of allergen is introduced into the patient’s body, and it increases each time. Thanks to injections, it is possible to get rid of unpleasant symptoms for several years, so this method of treatment is considered the most effective.
It is always worth remembering that you should not resort to self-medication. Only an experienced doctor, after conducting a series of tests, will be able to prescribe effective treatment, otherwise there is a high probability that the allergy will worsen in the fall and lead to serious consequences. After all, not all drugs are equally effective; some, for example, need to be taken only for a few days, while others will not help at all. in this case and time for treatment will simply be lost.
Another reason why autumn allergies can cause a number of consequences is that many people think that at this time of year there is no longer any danger of getting sick, because all the plants have long since bloomed. But based on everything said above, the likelihood of getting sick is very high. Therefore, it is better to protect yourself in advance. After all, it is known that it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it later.
Preventing allergies
Anyone who is prone to this reaction should always remember what allergies happen to in the fall, spring, and summer. This is the only way to maximally protect both yourself and your loved ones from the occurrence of an allergic reaction in the body. It is important to remember the symptoms of the disease. For example, if you trust folk medicine, then certain diagnostic methods can be identified. For example, if the causative agent of the reaction is pollen, then immediately the next day after it will rain, the patient's condition begins to improve. This is due to the fact that water slightly washes away the pollen that floats in the air. But if mold acts as an allergen, then your health worsens just after a rainstorm. The whole point here is that rain contributes to the growth of dampness. We must remember that the most large quantity fungal pores appear precisely in evening time when the sun stops shining. Therefore, if the reaction is associated with this pathogen, it is better to refrain from evening walks.
If allergies often appear in spring and autumn, then it is better to dry clothes in the house and not take them outside. Pollen, as well as fungus that is in the air, can easily settle on things, and then an aggravation of the reaction may begin. It is best to keep windows closed to prevent allergens from entering your home.
People well versed in traditional medicine advise patients who cannot tolerate pollen from various trees to completely avoid eating nuts, apples, plums, carrots, honey, as well as alcohol such as beer and cognac. Well, for those who cannot tolerate plant pollen, you need to give up watermelons, melons, seeds, mayonnaise and vegetable oil.
Of course, there are situations when a person is unable to influence the pathogen. Let’s say that if it is chalk, then the student will feel discomfort in any case. Many experts argue that replacing conventional whiteboards with interactive ones can solve this problem.
If you follow all the tips listed above, you will be able to avoid difficult consequences, which will allow the person to feel much better overall.
It would seem, what kind of allergies can there be in the fall? Typically, the time of exacerbation is spring and summer, and in cold seasons, allergies are only to cold.
At the end of October, rains washed the remaining pollen to the ground. But allergy sufferers continue to scratch their noses, the symptoms of atopic dermatitis worsen, and some sneeze and cough in a warm apartment.
And my son had a reaction in the fall, although his true allergy was to birch. We went to the doctors, took tests, tried to figure out what was going on.
As it turns out, there can be many options.
Autumn allergy to birch pollen
In September and October, birch pollen is laid. As I understand it, this is one of the stages of pollen formation.
It is likely that some pollen gets into the air and birch-sensitive allergy sufferers develop symptoms.
If you observe the weather in the fall, you can predict the aggressiveness of pollen during birch flowering in the spring. Sudden changes from heat to cold causes the tree to create more adaptable, aggressive pollen. Such pollen will be an additional burden on the allergy sufferer’s body.
What to do
- If you or your child are allergic to birch, and an unfamiliar reaction appears in the fall, go to an allergist. The doctor will prescribe medications that can relieve symptoms: antihistamines, hormones. Most likely you will have to pass additional tests, in order to exclude the new kind allergies that could join.
- When you leave the house, use it.
- Try barriers for the nasal mucosa: Aquamaris Ectoin, Nazaval.
- Use (breathers) and air purifiers at home.
- Take a shower when you come home from the street.
- Rinse and moisturize mucous membranes.
- Monitor the microclimate in your apartment - use humidifiers and be sure to care for them properly.
- Treatment with . Thanks to immunotherapy (staloral birch), my child forgot about autumn reactions.
Ambrosia Pollen
In the south and central Russia, ragweed blooms until early October. Winds carry pollen even to places where ragweed does not grow, and where sensitive allergy sufferers will react to this aggressive allergen.
Keep an eye out in your city.
Fallen leaves
Autumn yellow-fiery foliage is not at all harmless - it is the most common reason exacerbation of allergies in the fall. The herbarium can become an exam for immune system allergic.
And that's why.
Mold
In rotting piles of leaves it is dark and damp, which means mold thrives there.
Some types of mold grow in dry and windy weather, while others prefer fog and moisture.
The most common types of mold in autumn foliage are Cladasporium, Alternaria, and Aspergillosis.
Mold spores are very small and are easily transported through the air over long distances. They irritate the mucous membrane, enter the bronchi, provoke allergy symptoms and aggravate atopic dermatitis.
Mold is a powerful irritant, and sensitive allergy sufferers may have a reaction to it—even if they do not have a true mold allergy.
If the immune system is weak, mold colonies, such as Aspergillus, can easily settle in the human body.
Outdoors, mold spores attack allergy sufferers from July until late autumn, until the first frost. In an apartment, mold can annoy allergy sufferers all year round.
What to do
- Wear masks for allergy sufferers when outside. Check with the manufacturer to see if your mask protects against mold spores and how often the filter needs to be changed.
- Take a shower after your walk.
- Moisten the nasal mucosa with saline or pharmaceutical saline solutions.
- Try mucosal barriers: Aquamaris Ectoin, Nazaval.
- Wash your street clothes.
- Wash your pets after a walk.
- Monitor the microclimate in the apartment, use dehumidifiers.
- Make sure there is no mold in the apartment. Check the bathroom, air conditioner, refrigerator, inspect the windows - Alternaria loves condensation. Food and land where planted houseplants, favorite habitats of mold.
- If you have a mold allergy, talk to an allergist drug therapy and think about ASIT.
There are no registered drugs for ASIT against mold in Russia, but many allergists find a way out of this situation :)
City dirt
Both in summer and autumn, the leaves collect and absorb all the city dirt - dust, pollen, reagents.
Animal droppings and fur
The leaves contain a lot of excrement and animal hair - dogs, cats, pigeons, rats, mice. If a child likes to rummage around in leaves, this can threaten not only an allergic reaction, but also other diseases: from conjunctivitis, dermatitis, E. coli, to salmonellosis and chlamydia.
What to do
- Don't let children play in the leaves.
- If you need to remove leaves, use a mask and gloves that you can throw away later.
- Do not bring herbariums home.
Barn mites
Well, we don’t have barns or barn ticks. Do you think so? No matter how it is. The granary mite is found not only in flour and cereals, but also in the soil, stems and roots of plants, bird nests and animal burrows.
Barn mites love mold; it is a delicacy for them, like oysters. Therefore, ticks happily settle on autumn foliage.
For an allergy sufferer, house dust mites are not too different from barn mites. Both contain similar allergen proteins. Therefore, we can assume that if there is a reaction to a house dust mite, there will be a reaction to a barn dust mite.
I came across information somewhere that mites can cause a cross-reaction with mold. I checked with allergists and found out that no one knows the specific cross-protein, but in practice cross-reactions occur frequently.
House dust mite
In autumn, the symptoms of allergy sufferers sensitive to house dust mites worsen. Reason number one: it’s cold outside, we ventilate less often, the heating hasn’t been turned on yet and the apartment is humid.
In such conditions, the tick actively reproduces. And allergy sufferers suffer from a stuffy nose, red eyes and exacerbation of atopic dermatitis.
Reason number two is dry air. When the heating is turned on, dry air replaces humid air. The air dries the mucous membranes and skin, which become like a sieve and allow allergens to pass through.
Frequent ventilation does not help either - in the cold, moisture evaporates through open windows. Don't believe me? Check it yourself using a hygrometer :)
What to do
- Monitor the microclimate in the house: use humidifiers, cover radiators.
- Take care of your skin: use emollients and cold creams before going outside.
- Cover the bed with special ones.
- Wash often bed sheets at a temperature of at least 60 degrees.
- Wet cleaning is also great.
- Contact an allergist for help in selecting drug therapy.
- If an allergy to house dust mites is confirmed, discuss ASIT immunotherapy with an allergist.
Climate anomalies
Every year the weather brings us new surprises. Temperatures change and plant flowering schedules change.
For example, this year (2019) autumn in Moscow was abnormally warm, and the hazel tree bloomed in October. Allergy sufferers were surprised to notice their spring reactions, but could not understand the reason for their poor health.
What to do
Keep track of allergen bloom times in your and surrounding areas with pollen monitoring systems. Watch the weather.
We are done with the main causes of autumn allergies, and now a few words about the exacerbation of some diseases.
Vasomotor rhinitis
Vasomotor rhinitis is a disorder of the blood vessels of the nose. There is an article about it on the site. If your nose runs in the fall and winter, your throat feels sore, it’s painful. slight cough, then rhinitis is familiar to you.
Making the situation worse:
- Changes in humidity: damp outside, dry at home.
- Evaporation from rotting leaves.
- Nasal medications - barriers, hormones, vasoconstrictors.
Adenoiditis
Mucous allergy is very sensitive - it looks like a sieve, according to one ENT specialist.
During the heating season, the air is dry, and viruses and allergens swarm in it, which easily penetrate the body.
In the path of viruses, adenoids stand in the way, which are often unable to cope with such a fight and grow and become inflamed.
Bronchial asthma
In the autumn-winter period, bronchial asthma also worsens.
It's not just humans who suffer from allergies to fallen leaves. If animals fiddle around in the foliage for a long time, they can develop conjunctivitis, rhinitis, allergic dermatitis or digestive problems.
Atopic dermatitis
A chronic disease that also worsens during the heating season.
The skin becomes dry and irritated. The trouble is that allergens easily penetrate through the affected skin, to which over time the body can begin to react.
Remember to take care of your skin and avoid irritants: tight-fitting, synthetic and woolen clothing, pet hair, dust.
Exacerbations of gastrointestinal diseases
In autumn, problems with the stomach and intestines worsen. Little sun, rain, stress - all this has a bad effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
Problems with the gastrointestinal tract often provoke pseudo-allergic reactions, which are sometimes confused with true allergies: runny nose, cough, skin rashes, hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
If you notice these symptoms, visit a gastroenterologist or allergist.
Take care of yourself and your pets.
What could you be allergic to in the fall?
It is believed that by autumn the time for allergies is coming to an end, however, cases have been recorded when allergic rhinitis begins in the fall.
This article will tell you what allergens provoke allergy symptoms in children and adults, and how to deal with it.
Causes of autumn rhinitis and its main symptoms
The main allergens that can cause discomfort in September or October include:
- Weeds such as ragweed and wormwood.
- Flowering ornamental plants that, in warm weather, continue to bloom until frost: marigolds, roses, chrysanthemums, asters, dahlias and others.
- Various berries and fruits that ripen at this time: melon, figs, cranberries, grapes, peaches.
- A variety of nuts: walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts or almonds.
- Some types of autumn mushrooms: boletus, russula, saffron milk caps and fly mushrooms.
- Spores of microscopic fungi that begin to appear if the rooms become damp and moderately warm.
- Dust accumulated on leaves flying during the autumn months.
In addition to the products listed, similar substances may cause cross-allergy. These substances include components of sunflower beets and melon (for allergies to ragweed), honey (for allergies to weeds), soy and green peas (for allergies to peanuts).
As in other seasons, allergic diseases in the fall occur either due to irritation respiratory tract, or due to allergens entering digestive tract. Allergic rhinitis in a child is not much different from the disease in an adult. The main symptoms manifest themselves in the form of a stuffy or runny nose with clear and liquid discharge, dry or itchy mucous membranes and sneezing.
These symptoms usually include redness and swelling of the eyes, watery eyes, skin rashes, and sometimes systemic reactions in the form of angioedema, acute urticaria or anaphylactic shock.
Diagnosis of autumn exacerbation of allergies
Diseases that cause nasal congestion are not only allergies, but also acute respiratory infections, polyps or adenoids, and deformations of the nasal cartilage. It happens that parents take responsibility and independently treat their children for colds, for a long time without getting results. They lack the competence to understand that the cause of a cold symptom is an allergy. You shouldn’t experiment on yourself and your children; it’s time to seek help from a specialist.
Allergic rhinitis and other manifestations of the disease significantly worsen the quality of life, and sometimes lead to serious consequences. The doctor will be able to provide first aid if acute form allergies and advise on how to act during remission.
Currently, the main method of diagnosing allergies is an allergy test. There are 2 types of this method: irritation with skin allergens or testing of antibodies to specific allergens in the patient's blood.
The first type of study can be carried out exclusively during the period of remission, the second analysis can be done regardless of time, season and allergy symptoms.
A full diagnosis is very expensive, which is why a specialist carefully studies the medical history, selecting some allergens that could presumably cause an inadequate reaction in the body. In addition, studies of the gastrointestinal tract and sinuses, determination of immunoglobulin E and general analysis blood. After receiving the results, the doctor will select the optimal treatment program, which often takes more than one month.
Treatment options for allergic rhinitis
Allergies can be prevented or stopped. TO preventive measures Fighting the disease includes avoiding interaction with the allergen. To do this, you will need allergy tests, which were mentioned earlier.
If these are edible products, you need to discard them; if there is dust or pollen, destroy weeds in the country house and near the house, frequently carry out wet cleaning of the premises, install an air humidifier and an air conditioner with a filter, or, if possible, move to a safe place during the allergy season place.
If the allergy has already begun, medications are prescribed to combat it.
But the attending physician must choose the right medications:
- Antihistamines I II, III and IV (Diphenhydramine, Suprastin, Levocetirizine, Desloratadine) block the action of histamine, which is responsible for itching and swelling of the mucous membranes. The latest generation of drugs are preferable because they do not cause drowsiness.
- Cromones (ketotifen and nedocromil sodium) stabilize the functioning of cells that release histamine and other active substances, preventing the development of allergies. Cromones are used in the form of tablets, sprays or drops for a long time. To feel the effect of the drugs and relieve allergy symptoms, the drugs should be used for at least 10–14 days.
- Topical hormonal agents (glucocorticosteroids such as Beclomethasone or Fluticasone) are used for severe forms allergies, as well as for the treatment of a runny nose under the strict supervision of a physician. The drugs have powerful action, as a result of which allergic reactions stop for a long time, if you eat right and exclude the influence of allergens.
- Allergy therapy is a course of injections of histaglobulin or a specially dosed allergen, which is administered according to a special scheme for a long time. During this period, the body “hardens” and the reaction to the action of the irritating substance decreases. Treatment guarantees life without allergies for several years, but this method is not suitable for everyone.
