What is Hay Fever?

Hay fever is the name given to pollen allergy. Other terms for hay fever include "seasonal allergic rhinitis" or "pollinosis."  Hay fever or allergic rhinitis, is a chronic inflammation of the nose, throat, and sinuses. It is induced by external irritants, usually pollens carried in the air. Spring hay fever is related to tree pollen, summer to grass pollen and autumn to weed pollen. Non-seasonal allergies are usually due to household irritants such as dust, animal hair, and droppings of the house dust mite, mould, mildew, insect stings and bites. People with pollen sensitivities have a hard time, as it is difficult to avoid pollen because it is in the air that we breathe. For many people with hay fever, spring and summer represent a real nightmare. A small number of hay fever sufferers experience symptoms that significantly interfere with everyday life and are difficult to control with medication.

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How hay fever occurs

Anyone can develop an allergy to a common substance, but those who do have usually inherited the tendency as a family trait. The sensitivity is developed after exposure to the substance. Hay fever is a good example of this process.

 

During the seasons when plants are pollinating, everyone in the surrounding area is exposed. People with allergic tendency may develop sensitivity to any one or more of the pollens, although certain pollens are more likely to cause an allergic reaction than others.

 

Pollens that are light enough to be wind-borne are what cause the problem for most hay-fever sufferers. Heavier pollens that are carried from plant to plant by bees and by other insects can also be allergens, but they cause trouble only when a person comes into direct contact with the plant. Airborne pollens can penetrate anywhere, indoors and out, and are most numerous at the height of the pollinating season for the particular plant.

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What are the symptoms for hay fever?

Sneezing that is repeated and prolonged is the most common mark of the hay fever sufferer. A stuffy and watery nose is also a main sign of hay fever. Other symptoms include redness, swelling and itching of the eyes; itching of the nose, throat and mouth and itching of the ears, or other ear problems. Breathing difficulties at night due to obstruction of the nose may interfere with sleep.

 

These symptoms differ in degree according to the individual, ranging from mild to severe. When severe, they are very uncomfortable, making it difficult to carry out daily tasks, and may cause loss of time from work and school.

 

Health complications from repeated hay fever attacks, year after year, may be an even more serious problem. Chronic sinusitis - inflammation of the sinus cavities is one of these problems. Another is nasal polyps, or growths. In addition, a significant percentage of people with hay fever have or develop asthma.

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The seasons for Hay fever

The "hay fever season" can be a different time of year for different people. In part, this is because trees, grasses, and weeds produce pollens during different seasons.  People who are sensitive to pollens produced by grasses may suffer in the late spring, and early summer, the time when most grasses are pollinating. About half of all hay fever sufferers are sensitive to grass pollens.

 

Weeds flourish in most parts of the country from midsummer to late autumn. In the late autumn, ragweed is the most common problem. In fact, ragweed is the plant that causes the most hay fever. But an individual may react to one or more pollens in more than one of these groups, so the person's "season" may be from early spring to the first frost.

 

For that matter, people who are sensitive to dust, to dog or cat dander (tiny scales or particles that fall off hair, feathers, or skin) or to other some other airborne material that they cannot protect themselves from may suffer all year round.

 

Mould and fungus spores , also airborne during the summer, can cause reactions in many people. Frequently found around hay, straw, and dead leaves, their growth is encouraged by humid weather and by places with poor air circulation -damp basements for instance.

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Sensitivity and how it works

"Sensitivity" is the term used to describe the process by which you develop an allergy. Sensitivity is established when the tissues that form antibodies (lymphoid tissues) are stimulated to make specialized antibodies to otherwise harmless pollens, spores, etc. These antibodies fix to other specialized cells throughout the body that contain powerful defensive substances such as histamine. When the individual next is exposed to the pollen (as in the nose, for instance), the antibodies trigger the cells to secrete their defensive substances. This in turn causes the dilation of blood vessels, increased secretions of fluids, swelling of tissues, itching, sneezing, and other reactions that add up to hay fever.

 

The inflammation and other symptoms, while real enough, actually are not of the same destructive nature as those carried by more serious diseases. Removing the cause of the reaction usually results in immediate relief.

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How to control Hay fever

Avoiding the substance that causes a reaction is the best way to control hay fever. Moving to a different part of the country is sometimes suggested, but taking this drastic and expensive step may prove useless if the person has or develops sensitivity to a substance common in the new location.

Using air conditioning and air purifying devices may help cut down on suffering during the hay fever season, so that normal sleep and work are possible. Dust masks should be used during outdoor work if the work cannot be avoided.

 

Antihistamines - drugs that counteract the histamine released by the allergen-antibody reaction usually serve to give relief from some symptoms. Decongestants may help, as well. However, they don't affect the underlying sensitivity. Each individual has to depend on his or her doctor to find out what drug or combination of drugs works best.

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Acupuncture and Hay Fever

A patient went to a clinic complaining of sneezing, runny nose, eyes that are red, itchy and watery, headache, blocked sinuses, unable to sleep.  There can be no mistaking these miseries. They are known all too well to hay fever sufferers. The side effects of chronic or untreated hay fever can make a person feel constantly ill. Adults and children can become irritable and moody. They may have difficulty falling asleep at night owing to the nasal congestion.

 

Acupuncture offers an effective treatment for hay fever. It can achieve fairly fast and lasting results. Nasal congestion, discharge, and itching are usually relieved during the first acupuncture treatment. Six treatments may be needed to give lasting relief of hay fever symptoms. Some patients return for a series of six treatments each year just before what used to be their hay fever season. Others remain free from hay fever for years after one course of acupuncture treatments.

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How common is the problem?

On average about 1 person in 90 suffers badly enough to consult a doctor, and many other people have the disorder in a milder form. No one knows why certain people are hypersensitive to an otherwise harmless pollen grain or other airborne particles. People are particularly susceptible if they have another allergic condition such as asthma or eczema, or if any such conditions run in the family.

 

The general increase in conditions such as hay fever and asthma may be related to the increased amount of environmental toxins and pollutants to which we are all becoming more regularly exposed. A combination of pollution in the environment and exposure to household chemicals may weaken the body’s resistance. If this occurs, it lessens the body’s ability to control its response towards allergies.

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The good news - Acupuncture can help

Acupuncture is a very old medical art. It is often associated with pain control but in the hands of a well-trained practitioner it has much broader application. The modern scientific explanation is that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the body that influence the body’s own internal regulating system. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities. It can help to strengthen the body’s resistance and can regulate the body’s antigen-antibody’s reactions. This is important in helping to relieve hay fever and other allergic reactions such as asthma.

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What are the conventional treatments?

There are many preparations that can be bought over the counter or with a doctor’s prescription. However, possible side effects and inconvenience of treatment may be more troublesome than the condition itself. Antihistamine drugs are temporarily effective for relieving hay fever symptoms.However, they should be used sparingly as they tend to dry out the mucous membranes and thereby increase sensitivity to antihistamine. After taking them for more than a month or so, they become less and less effective. The side effects of drowsiness and dryness of the nose and throat may be more troublesome than the hay fever itself.

 

However, they don’t affect the underlying sensitivity. Nose sprays are usually of limited value and their prolonged use may actually cause symptoms or make them worse all drug treatments merely suppress symptoms and do not alter the basic allergic reaction. Some sufferers of hay fever have ‘desensitisation’ injections.

 

If a skin test has succeeded in identifying the offending substance or substances then the sensitive individual is injected with increasing concentration of the allergen. This, usually, needs to be done over a period of two years. This treatment sometimes works well, but sometimes does not. Thankfully, acupuncture provides another avenue of relief for Hay fever sufferers. 

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Hay Fever Programme

The AcuMedic Clinic Offers a Hay Fever Programme which includes three sessions of acupuncture with herbal supplements.

 

We are confident that the program will help the majority of our patients, however, the length and effectiveness of the treatment really depends on the lifestyle and condition of the individual at the first visit, as all patients will have different situations, which require individual attention in their treatment.

 

View More Info Hay Fever Programme

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Further Reading

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Always seek health advice from your doctor, or local  Health Outlet. AcuMedic will be very pleased to offer advice regarding difficulties with this condition. Please see our Clinic

Please note that although we are confident that our treatments will help the majority of our patients, we cannot absolutely guarantee a cure as the needs and difficulties of each patient can differ greatly