| "Hay
fever" is a misnomer. Hay is not a usual cause of this
problem and it does not cause fever. Early descriptions of
sneezing, nasal congestion, and eye irritation while harvesting
field hay promoted this popular term.
Many substances cause the allergic symptoms
noted in hay fever and hay represents only a small percentage.
"Allergic rhinitis" is the correct term used to
describe this allergic reaction. Rhinitis means "irritation
of the nose" and is a derivative of "Rhino,"
meaning nose.
Allergic rhinitis which occurs during a specific
season is called "seasonal allergic rhinitis". When
it occurs throughout the year, it is called "perennial
allergic rhinitis."
An allergic reaction occurs when the immune
system attacks a usually harmless substance called an "allergen"
that gains access to the body. To more simply describe this
complex immune process, we will make an analogy to a war within
the body.
The immune system calls upon a protective
substance called "immunoglobulin E" or "IgE"
antibodies (for erythema or redness) to fight these invading
allergic substances or allergens. Even though everyone has
some IgE, an allergic person has an unusually large army of
these IgE defenders - in fact, too many for his/her own good.
This army of IgE antibodies attacks and engages
the invading army of allergic substances of allergens.
As is often the case in war, innocent bystanders
are affected by this battle. These innocent bystanders are
special cells called "Mast" cells. These cells are
frequently injured during the warring of the IgE antibodies
and the allergic substances.
When a mast cell is injured, it releases a
variety of strong chemicals into the tissues and blood. These
chemicals frequently cause allergic reactions. One of the
chemicals released by the mast cells is histamine. These chemicals
are very irritating and cause itching, swelling, and fluid
leaking from cells.
Through various mechanisms, these allergic
chemicals can cause muscle spasm and can lead to lung and
throat tightening as is found in asthma and loss of voice.
Any substance can cause an allergy if exposed
to a person in the right way. But for all practical purposes
and with few exceptions, allergic rhinitis is caused by proteins.
Commonly, allergic rhinitis is a result of an allergic person
coming in contact several times with protein from plants.
Many trees, grasses, and weeds produce extremely
small, light, dry protein particles called pollen. This pollen
is spread by the wind. These pollen particles are usually
the male sex cells of the plant and are smaller than the tip
of a pin or less than 40 microns in diameter. Even though
pollen is usually invisible in the air, pollen is a potent
stimulator of allergy.
Pollen lodges in the nasal lining tissues
(mucus membranes) and other parts of the respiratory tract
where it does harm to an allergic person. Approximately 5-10
percent of Americans at times suffer from allergic rhinitis.
A person is programmed to be allergic by his/her genetic makeup
and is destined to be allergic from birth. Approximately one
in four persons with allergic rhinitis also has asthma.
Living
With Spring Hayfever |
Supplements
for Hay Fever | Allergies
- Quality Of Life |
Allergies
- Allergy Shots| Allergy
skin test | Avoiding
allergens | Alternative
to hayfever medication |
Why
does an allergic reaction occur? |
Allergies
And Clean Air | Benefits
Of Chamomile Tea |
Ten
Facts About Hayfever
|
