2023-04-18 16:32:29
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The hay fever season has arrived again. Less good news for the estimated 10 to 15 percent of the Dutch who suffer from hay fever. However, it is not all doom and gloom, because fortunately the complaints can be reduced. In this article we tell you exactly what you need to know and how you can reduce the complaints!
Most people get hay fever between the ages of ten and thirty, but the allergy can also manifest itself at a later age. Some people outgrow the allergy. This usually happens ten to thirty years after the allergy manifested itself.
Hay fever symptoms
If you suffer from hay fever – also called pollen allergy – an acute allergic reaction can occur in certain parts of the year if you come into contact with the pollen of grasses, plants or trees. For example, the pollen – or pollen – can cause itchy nose and itchy, watery eyes. Furthermore, with an allergic reaction to pollen, you often have to sneeze and you suffer from a runny nose, shortness of breath and fatigue.
Do you want to know if you have hay fever? If you recognize some of the above symptoms and you suspect that you have hay fever, it is best to visit your doctor to get tested. And although corona is no longer current or urgent for a large part of the Dutch population, we should still briefly mention it, since some symptoms overlap.
Different types of allergies peak at different times
As mentioned earlier, with hay fever, an allergic reaction can occur due to the pollen of grasses, plants or trees. People with hay fever may specifically have a grass pollen allergy or a boom pollen allergy to have.
In case of a tree pollen allergy, the complaints mainly occur in the spring (from the beginning of January to the end of May), since pollen from trees is in the air in that part of the year. When the complaints do not occur until the beginning of May, there is usually a grass pollen allergy. Grass pollen allergy peaks in June. At the beginning of August, most varieties are already out of bloom and in September all pollen is usually gone.
Most people mainly experience complaints between the months of April and July. Last year – 2022 – the peak of the hay fever season was earlier than usual, due to the exceptionally warm spring.
This indication is partly dependent on the weather: in a severe winter, for example, trees will flower later, so that the complaints will also occur later. With tree pollen allergy, most complaints are caused by an allergen that is present in almost all types of trees that grow in our environment. Although more than ten thousand species of grasses are known, the symptoms of grass pollen allergy are caused by five allergens, all of which are present in pollen from different types of grasses in our environment.
Similar allergies
Hay fever can often be confused with an allergy to dust mites or pets. In all these forms of allergy, the reaction occurs through inhalation.
What to do with hay fever?
1. Check the pollen map
If you have hay fever and you know which type of pollen and pollen bother you the most, it is useful to find a so-called pollen map of pollen calendar to consult. This shows which pollen is present in the air in which period. On the Buienradar website see a pollen map with real-time information about the amount of pollen in the air and the expected amount of hay fever-related complaints. But a short search quickly yields the knowledge that there are several similar cards.
With such a calendar you can partly avoid suddenly being saddled with swollen eyes, a sniffling nose and itching, because you can adjust your medication and activities accordingly in advance. Some of these calendars can also be installed as free apps on your phone.
Why then is the allergy called ‘hay fever’? The allergy owes its name to the connection between the hay fever season and the hay season.
2. Use antihistamines
You can try to reduce the complaints of hay fever in various ways. For example, you can use nasal spray or tablets with antihistamine*, which works almost immediately. This medication is intended for people with mild hay fever complaints. With a single daily dose, complaints can often be prevented.
Antihistamines can have some side effects, the most famous of which is drowsiness. With newer forms of antihistamine – such as levocetirizine, cetirizine and loratadine – this effect is less. In some circumstances, for example if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, the use of antihistamines may not be recommended.
*Antihistamine suppresses the allergic reaction by blocking the action of the body’s own histamine. Histamine is stored in certain cells and is released after the body comes into contact with a substance to which you are allergic.
3. Get enough sleep
In addition, people with hay fever are recommended to get at least seven hours of sleep a day. This way you would suffer less from hay fever symptoms. It also helps to regularly change your bedding, because pollen can also end up on this, in order to fall asleep earlier.
4. Wear sunglasses
When you wear sunglasses, you can especially reduce eye complaints. The sunglasses block the main contact of pollen with your eyes.
5. Avoid outdoor activities
If you suffer from hay fever, it is wise to avoid certain outdoor activities such as going to the beach or the park as much as possible during the peak season of your allergy when the pollen is in the air. This also applies to drying your laundry: it is better to dry this inside than outside to prevent pollen from ending up on your clean laundry.
6. Try immunotherapy
If the above does not help enough, you can consider immunotherapy. This is a treatment to make patients more tolerant to allergies. For example, you can receive injections for treatment or – in the case of a grass pollen allergy – you can opt for melting tablets.
Video: Hay fever: what is it and what can you do about it?
Source: Apotheek.nl, Hooikoortsradar, Pollennieuws, RTV Oost, Thuisarts.nl
Article updated and updated on April 18, 2023
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