Seasonal Allergies can lead to symptoms including runny noses, itchy eyes and stuffy throats. Antihistamines, nasal sprays and eye drops may provide relief from these symptoms.
Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to environmental allergens, known as allergens. Allergic conjunctivitis (itchy eyes with watering), runny nose or stuffy throat (rhinitis) and nasal congestion are among the many potential symptoms; seasonal allergies usually come and go during specific seasons.
Pollen
Pollen is a fine powdery substance produced by trees, flowers, grasses, and weeds to fertilize other plants of its species. Pollen can cause itchy eyes, runny nose, congestion and an adverse immune response from this substance which leads to symptoms like sneezing and stuffy nose in some people.
Spring allergies are typically triggered by tree pollen, while summer allergies often come from grass or ragweed. Weeds like sagebrush, pigweed and lamb’s quarters also release allergenic pollen that may trigger symptoms in some people.
These allergens enter the body when inhaled and come in contact with cells lining the nose, throat and sinuses. Once exposed to allergens, these cells signal to the immune system that these substances pose a threat and must be expelled from the body; in response to which histamine production increases which swells mucous membranes in both eyes and nose and promotes runny nose symptoms.
Avoiding plants that produce the pollen that triggers your allergies can significantly lower allergy symptoms. Keep an eye on local conditions by monitoring National Phenology Network’s Status of Spring tracker to track when pollen levels reach their highest. Your allergist may prescribe antihistamines or nasal sprays to control symptoms while immunotherapy (allergy shots) could desensitize your immune system.
Mold
Mold spores are released into the air when mold grows, and these allergens can trigger respiratory problems similar to pollen or animal dander – runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, postnasal drip and wheezing are just a few examples. Furthermore, certain varieties of mold may even lead to life-threatening lung infections or anaphylaxis if inhaled directly.
Indoor and outdoor mold spores can be caused by high humidity, water damage, temperature shifts, damp conditions such as compost piles or compost bins, as well as temperature variations. Mold thrives in damp conditions like these, often appearing on logs, fallen leaves, compost piles grasses or grains rotting away in damp environments such as compost piles. Indoors they often hide behind walls or underneath carpeting and wood flooring before spreading into walls or through other buildings before growing on paper products or drywall drywall and paper products as well.
Mold allergies may present symptoms year-round or only at certain times of the year. To determine whether mold allergies exist in your life, the best way is to visit an allergist for a physical examination and full medical history review, along with allergy skin prick testing using diluted allergens applied via punctures on your skin; an allergic response will produce raised bumps (hives) where they were applied – this process allows an allergist to perform accurate testing on each individual patient.
Dust
Allergies can affect any part of the body, though nose and eyes tend to be most affected. Itchy sensations caused by histamine-released chemicals can irritate and inflame skin, nose and eyes causing inflammation as well as symptoms like runny/stuffy noses, watery and itchy eyes, postnasal drip and coughing are typical side effects.
Your allergy doctor can identify potential allergens using either a skin-prick test or bloodwork. They’ll prick the surface of your skin with small amounts of suspected allergens and wait a few minutes to see whether any reaction occurs; if successful, the area around where they pricked will develop red and itchy bumps that provide valuable data that they’ll use to create a treatment plan for you.
Many people suffer from allergies to dust mites, a type of tiny insect commonly found living in mattresses and pillows. An allergic response can lead to itchy, watery eyes and runny nose symptoms during night or morning when dust mites are most active; symptoms may persist all year long compared to seasonal allergies. One allergen associated with dust mites is tropomyosin protein found both in shrimp and dust mites – studies have revealed an association between levels of tropomyosin in dust and severity of dust mite allergies in people’s allergic responses against them.
Animals
Animals also experience seasonal allergies and their accompanying symptoms, just like humans do. Pets typically become sensitive to airborne allergens like mold spores, grass pollen and pollen. As with humans, pets may develop allergic dermatitis symptoms like itchy and flaky skin; in extreme cases diarrhea or vomiting may develop due to allergic reaction gastrointestinal issues triggered by seasonal allergies; additionally scratching associated with seasonal allergies can result in sores or sores developing over time.
Animal allergies, similar to human ones, result from the immune system misreacting to benign environmental irritants that actually are. When this happens, histamines are released which lead to allergy symptoms.
Animal allergies vary depending on their species and may even vary by type; for instance, dogs with allergies to tree pollen often develop itchy, scaly skin during spring and summer – this can be mitigated by wiping their feet and coat with damp cloth each time they come indoors.
Allergy testing isn’t usually necessary to diagnose pet allergies; however, some veterinarians offer blood and intradermal testing in order to develop immunotherapy treatment plans to desensitize their pet to allergens that trigger histamine release. Immunotherapy treatments usually take six-12 months to work, although most animals show marked improvement after just one treatment course; additionally, medication may also be prescribed by vets to control itching or other symptoms associated with allergies.
Comments are closed