'Tis the Season

Avoiding allergies

A third of people in Scotland suffer from allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, and studies suggest the number is increasing. Meanwhile, climate change is expected to prolong the suffering of those with hay fever as milder weather causes plants to flower out of their usual season.  

Dr Carole McAlister, a GP in the West End of Glasgow, says: “The most frequent cause of hay fever is grass pollen, with about 90% of UK sufferers sensitive to it.  

The grasses that cause most hay fever start to flower in May, releasing their pollen into the atmosphere. Before this in March/April tree pollens affect about a quarter of hay fever sufferers. The culprits are birch, ash and willow trees. The hay fever season lasts from May till July, starting about two weeks later in Scotland compared to the south of England.  

Pollens from weeds such as plantains, mugwort and docks also cause hay fever. Many types of fungal spores results in an extension of the hay fever season through late summer and into autumn. 

“The UK has amongst the highest prevalence of allergic disease in the world,” she says. “Some studies suggest a three-fold increase in 20 years, and one in three people is expected to develop an allergy at some time in their lives. One in four urban children are now affected by asthma, and hay fever is increasing in both children and adults.”  

The goals of physicians and parents alike in treating childhood asthma and allergies should be to maximise the chance of your children leading normal active lives without any overwhelming side effects of medication.  

It is important to take the first step in clearly identifying allergens that your children are sensitive to through allergy skin testing or using a specific blood test known as a RAST test. 

Hay fever, like other allergies, is the reaction of the body to foreign substances known as allergens. These can trigger an exaggerated response from the immune system, caused by the release of chemicals including histamine. 

This results in the classic “allergy face”: puffy, itchy, watery eyes and runny nose with clear drainage, which may be accompanied by fatigue, irritability and sleep disturbance. These symptoms usually occur during certain times of the year for people with seasonal allergies, corresponding to being exposed to outdoor allergens, such as tree pollens, grasses and weeds.  

Other people may have perennial allergies, with symptoms occurring year round from exposure to indoor allergens, such as dust mites, pets, secondhand smoke and molds.  

As Dr McAlister notes:  

“Although not usually life-threatening it can seriously compromise an individual’s quality of life”. 

How, then, to re-claim the spring and summer months from hay fever’s grip? The popular conventional method of hay fever control is a summer-long course of antihistamines.  

This is usually begun two weeks before the beginning of the pollen season and can be supplemented with nasal sprays and eye drops. 

Yet there are other practical ways to keep pollen at bay. Checking the local pollen index each day is a useful habit to get into.  

The UK pollen index can be found on the BBC Weather website, at , and gives a guide to the risk of being affected by airborne allergenic pollen. Forecasts are made from the beginning of the season and hot spots include silver birch pollen in April, which affects around a quarter of hay fever sufferers, and then the grass pollen season from May to August.  

Once aware of the high-risk times, a variety of preventative measures can keep your sneeze-count down. 

Regularly dust and vacuum your home to remove as much pollen and dust as possible. Make sure children are not in the room.  

Remove carpet where possible, encase bedding with breathable covers, wash linens in hot water and keep windows closed at night and in the early morning hours. 

Keep indoor humidity low, since dust mites and mold increase in high humidity. Avoid exposing your children to molds by keeping them away from damp basements or water-damaged areas of your home (check under carpets). 

Wrap-around sunglasses will help keep pollen from your eyes. 

Dry clothes indoors when the pollen count is high. 

Avoid allergy triggers, which may include irritants and odors such as perfume, cigarette smoke and colognes. 

Exercise common sense: stay away from long grass, newly-mown grass and trees, if tree pollen is a problem. 

For outdoor trips, choose seaside over countryside. Pollen is blown inland by sea winds. 

If you can’t resist the countryside, shower and change your clothes when you get home. 

Pollen can be carried in water – wear goggles when swimming 

When you’re tempted to rub itchy eyes, try washing your face instead, to avoid further irritation. 

This is, admittedly, the kind of list that makes sufferers wish for a magic cure – and they may not be wishing in vain. Several research teams around the world are working towards a vaccine for hay fever and other allergies. Among them is one at the University of Aberdeen, which has received an award from the Scottish Executive.  

Another leading allergies researcher, Dr Ronald Van Ree, announced late last year that a vaccine would be available in three years. 

In the meantime, a semi-permanent option is allergen-specific immunotherapy or “desensitisation”. This is offered by Dr McAlister at GP Matters. 

“Desensitisation is the practice of giving small increasing amounts of allergen extracts to patients with allergy in order to achieve hyposensitisation and reduce symptoms during natural exposure to the allergen,” she says. “It is highly effective in patients with severe summer hay fever, who are unresponsive to conventional anti-allergic drugs including intranasal steroids and antihistamines. 

After continued desensitisation for three years, it has been widely documented in trials that clinical improvement is maintained for at least three years after the discontinuation of the injections, and in some individuals for 10 years.” 

A course of desensitisation involves 6 injections before the hay fever season. 

For further information on desensitisation, email GP Matters at info@gpmatters.com or call 0141 339 0894 

A few natural remedies for Allergy Symptoms:

Homeopathic nasal mists:  

Saline and salt water sprays help wash away the pollen from the nose, which can remove the problem and reduce the need for medication. Plus, they are inexpensive.  

Antioxidant fruits and vegetables:  

Grape seed extract and quercetin supplements, which can be found in vitamin or health food stores, have been shown to be effective. But in your own refrigerator, apples, bananas and onions have anti-inflammatory properties and help to build up your immune system. Some foods, including apples in some people, cross-react with tree pollen and will cause allergy symptoms. Some of those foods include pears, kiwi, cherries, peaches, nectarines, celery, carrots, parsley, peppers and nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds. 

Omega-3 fatty acids:  

A German study found that people who ate foods high in Omega-3 fatty acid — like salmon, tuna and walnuts — had the fewest allergies. 

Researchers at Indiana University in the US found that the anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil supplements provided relieve for asthmatics from airway restriction during exercise.