Why you get hay fever (and what you can do about it)
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One in five Australians suffer from hay fever, officially, but some health experts say that figure is much higher. Some sufferers mistake hay fever for a simple cold or a recurring tickle in their throat (that just happens to occur every spring). The symptoms of hay fever range in severity but are horribly familiar to many of us: the intensely itchy, twitchy nose that’s running like a tap and the itchy, watery eyes; the incessant sneezing, blowing and rubbing; the crumpled tissues piling up on your desk.
What is hay fever actually?
Its medical name is allergic rhinitis (from the ancient Greek rhino, for nose), meaning an inflammation of the mucous membrane in the nose. When a person susceptible to allergies is first exposed to a particular pollen (or to dust mites or cat hair, for that matter) they make an allergic antibody, explains Professor Jo Douglass, who is the head of the immunology and allergy department at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. The second time the person encounters that allergen, their immune system recognises it as foreign, provoking an inflammatory reaction – even though the substance itself would not have hurt them. The allergic reaction triggers the body’s cells to release histamines, which cause capillaries to dilate, leading to the runny symptoms and that intense, almost needling itch.
Why is it important to nip symptoms in the bud?
Because the initial reaction usually just gets stronger, the throbbing sinuses become pounding, the itchy nose can become blocked – and there’s worse. Hay fever can lead to asthma and exacerbate reactions in the event of an asthma thunderstorm. Leading immunologists in Melbourne and Sydney say that if you’re prone to hay fever, start using intra-nasal steroids now. Don’t wait until a morning when you find yourself enveloped in swirls of pollen on your way to work. Get ahead of it and build a first line of defence by dampening your body’s allergic response.
By the way, don’t confuse intra-nasal steroid sprays, which are an effective daily preventative measure, with nasal decongestants, which should be used only for short periods, nor with antihistamine sprays, which are OK for treating milder symptoms but which won’t prevent symptoms developing.
And here’s a quick tip for using nasal spray, from Robyn O’Hehir, professor of allergy and clinical immunology at the Alfred Hospital and Monash University: rather than tilting your head back, tip your chin forward and angle the spray, inside each nostril, towards your ear on each side. It’s a better way to let the spray penetrate your sinuses. (Storing the spray near your toothbrush is a good reminder to use it daily too.)
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