SEASONAL ALLERGIES AND POLLEN SURVIVAL
In the spring and fall, tree, grass, and weed pollens become airborne and can result in a runny nose, sneezing, and itchiness in the nose, throat, and eyes. Doctors call it allergic rhinitis (when it affects the nose) or allergic conjunctivitis (when it affects the eyes) and many of us just call it hay fever.* What steps can be taken so allergies do not interfere with your child’s school, activities, or life? Understanding allergic reactions, minimizing pollen exposure, and considering allergy medication may help reduce symptoms of seasonal allergies.
Allergic Reaction: When Pollen Strikes
Even though pollen is normally a harmless substance, some people have immune systems that overact to it. In an allergic reaction, the pollen that enters the mucous membranes (eyes, nose and throat) is seen as an intruder, or allergen. The body’s immune system, then, releases histamine which begins a series of reactions to help the body get rid of that intruder, including sneezing, watery eyes and itching.
Pollen counts are usually highest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pollen sticks around in moderate temperatures with low humidity. Pollen is carried by the wind. Rain washes pollen away.
Tips to Minimize Allergic Symptoms: Nine Natural Steps to Avoid Pollen
1. Consider wearing natural fabrics. When you pick natural fabrics such as cotton, you may attract less pollen, some experts say. Silks and synthetic fabrics tend to build up static electricity, which attracts pollen.
2. Dry your clothes in a clothes dryer if available, not on an outdoor line. Pollen can collect easily on clothing or bed linens left outside.
3. Close windows in the house and the car. Open windows can be refreshing, but they let in pollen. Close windows and outside doors, especially on high-pollen days, and turn on the air-conditioning, if available. Use the “recirculate” option in the car instead of the vent, which may let in pollen.
4. Wipe your pet’s fur. If you have a pet that goes outside, wipe his fur off before he comes back in. Pets can bring pollen indoors on their fur.
5. Remove your shoes at the door at home. Take off your shoes before you come in to the house, so you don’t track in pollen.
6. Wash your hair before bed. Shampoo and shower before bed. That way, pollen that collected on your hair during the day won’t rub off on your pillow.
7. Change your clothes before bed. Pollen that collected on your clothes during the day won’t rub off on your sheets.
8. Consider wearing a light jacket to school; then, put that jacket in your locker. The pollen that collected on the jacket during the walk to school will then stay in your locker and not affect you in the classroom.
9. Wash your face (and eye glasses if you wear them) when you get into school. Wash away the pollen that may have collected on your face, eyebrows, and eyelashes on the way to school.
Consider Allergy Medication
Sometimes avoiding pollen isn’t enough, and often it is just not possible. Your child may need allergy medicine. Although there are many over-the-counter antihistamines, decongestants, and nasal sprays, it is important that you work with your pediatrician to make sure that your child’s allergy is correctly diagnosed and the symptoms are properly treated.
*Hay Fever is not a fever and it is not caused by hay. Interestingly, some studies have shown that children who grow up on farms are less likely to develop allergies.
REFERENCES:
Allergy Relief Tips Wherever You Go. Retrieved April 18, 2012 from http://www.webmd.com/allergies/allergy-relief-10/seasonal-allergy-checklist
Selekman, J. (2006). School nursing: a comprehensive text. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.