During spring and fall, pollen become airborne and can cause sneezing, a runny nose, and itchiness in your throat, skin and eyes. Now, even though many of us are familiar with the concept of hay fever, we don't really know how it's incurred. Hay fever is nothing but a seasonal allergy, and allergies are of several types caused by a myriad of allergens that include pollen, dust, medication, food (peanut, milk, shellfish, kiwi, prawn, etc.) insect bites, and even pets.
Symptoms usually include sneezing, itchiness, rash, hives, runny nose, sore throat, tightness in the chest, and swelling of the tongue, lips, etc.
Sometimes we think we might be allergic to a specific food, when it might not be the case. If we misdiagnose, we could end up cutting out a very important type of nutrient from our diet, and that only has negative effects on our bodies. Make sure to see a doctor before you assume that you're allergic to something. Keep an account of what you eat, the extremity of your symptoms, and the length of time for which the symptoms persist after eating certain food.
Many a time we don't take allergies seriously, when in fact it could act as a stepping stone to a greater health crisis. After you've consulted a physician to make sure you're allergic to something, try to avoid it as much as possible. If it's an essential part of your diet, gradually bring it back to your diet with time with help from a nutritionist. Read the label on store-bought soup and sauces to make sure they don't consist of the allergen. Have your pillow cases and bed sheets changed regularly, and wash your hair before bed. Change the filters in your air-conditioner as often as you can.
In spite of your efforts, sometimes you just catch an allergy, and if you've ever caught one, you probably know just how irritating it gets. Fortunately, there are some over-the-counter fixes for pacifying those symptoms.
Eye drops
Eye drops effectively take care of itching and swelling of your eyes. Use artificial tears to flush out allergens.
Steroid nasal sprays
Sprays are usually the first choice to treat allergic rhinitis, but if your allergies leave your nose feeling dry, try the saline sprays.
Antihistamine pills
These work like a charm when it comes to treating allergies. They take care of itchy watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing almost instantaneously. They provide powerful relief from these symptoms by blocking a substance called histamine which is produced in the body in response to the allergens present in the body. Check with your pharmacist for dosage instructions, and know that some of the recent ones actually cause more drowsiness than the older ones.
Skin creams
For topical allergic reactions, keep a small tube of hydrocortisone and moisturiser in your bag at all times. The moisturiser will soothe the dryness on your skin while the hydrocortisone cream will ease the inflammation.
