Spring is here! The pollens are attacking!

Which plants cause allergic reactions?  What are the typical symptoms and how can we protect ourselves against them?  Our otolaryngologist, Katalin Szilágyi, MD, helps us find some answers to these questions. 

Scratchy throat, sneezing and runny nose?

These symptoms lead us to think of a cold, but that may not necessarily be the case.  Pollens appearing in the air in early Spring may cause allergic reactions similar to these while in more sensitive individuals, may even cause asthma attacks.  

 Birch, beech and elm trees are among the most common allergens.  Due to the mild winter, those individuals who are allergic to these pollens can count on having allergic reactions much sooner than usual.  The person who is allergic knows exactly when the early Spring allergy season starts.  Then there are those who think they have a cold and don’t give it any more thought.  If these symptoms appear unexpectedly and do not lessen in a few days or actually increase, it’s worth going to a doctor to find out whether you have a cold or are allergic.     

Allergy symptoms

The most common allergy symptoms are a stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy nose, throat and eyes, teary eyes and a runny nose; however, pollens may also cause coughing and, in more serious cases, even asthma attacks.  If the complaints appear at the same time each time and increase on windy days, it is highly probable that we are dealing with allergy.  Namely, on these days, the pollen dispersion is greater causing the allergic reactions to intensify.

Treating allergy complaints

Unlike a cold that can be cured in a few days with home remedies, allergy symptoms do not disappear on their own.  Moreover, if we don’t deal with them, more serious complications may follow.  In order to alleviate the symptoms, medical treatment is necessary and to ease the complaints, nose spray, pills and, in the case of asthma, bronchodilators.

 As a first step, it would be worthwhile to go to an allergy specialist who, with an allergy test, will identify which allergens and to what extent cause the sensitivity making it easier for us to find the most effective treatment method.  It would be wise for those who know they are allergic to start taking their medications and using a nose spray two weeks before the beginning of the allergy season.