Hay Fever
Hay Fever or Allergic Rhinitis
Hay fever or allergic rhinitis is one of the common ailments faced by children at all ages. The symptoms are common in all children and adults. As the name suggests, allergic rhinitis or hay fever is caused by allergens that might be simple dust to pollen or mites.
Causes
Unlike a cold or flu that is caused by a virus, hay fever is caused by body’s immune response to an allergen. The body s immune system protects itself by producing Immunoglobulin E antibodies that protects against the allergen. When in contact again with same allergen, these antibodies release a chemical called histamines in the blood stream. This in turn causes symptoms of hay fever. An allergen is something that can be harmless indoor or outdoor substances that the body identifies it as a harmful substance. Common allergens include dust mites and pollen. The other allergens that trigger hay fever are flecks of skin shed of pets like dogs and cats, other animals with fur and feathers. Certain hay fever is caused by seasonal climatic changes and occurs only in that particular time of the year. The seasonal hay fever triggers are tree and grass pollens that are common in early spring and summer, spores from indoor and outdoor molds or fungi that are common in winter, etc. Dust mites, cockroach droppings, dander from pets are common all year round.
Symptoms
Hay fever or allergic rhinitis can occur at any age but most common in children. Their onset can be sudden or gradual. The main symptoms include runny nose, nasal stuffiness called as congestion, itchy nose, sneezing, low grade fever, headache, watery eyes, fatigue or tiredness due to lack of sleep, cough, itchy throat. In some case, itchy eyes and redness in eyes called as allergic conjunctivitis is seen. The other symptoms include postnasal drip and allergic shiners. Postnasal drip is nothing but the mucus that ascends down from the nasal cavity to the throat. It causes irritation. Allergic shiners are swollen, bruised appearing skin seen below the eyes due to persistent allergic conjunctivitis. The symptoms become miserable and annoying and it affects the performance at work and school and interferes with your routine in daily life.
Treatment
It is always better to get allergic rhinitis treated in its early stages. If not it can interfere with life and lowers performances in work and life and can last life long. The first treatment is to identify the allergen that triggers the symptoms. The treatment depends on the symptoms and severity and also on the investigation. The pediatrician will examine the child based on the symptoms, signs, severity and then treat. Hay fever treatment definitely needs monitoring and follow up for n specific period of time to complete the course of the treatment.
