POLLEN ALLERGIES

What to do when you are allergic to pollen

What is pollen?
Pollen is the male seed of flowers. E 'consists of small grains of different shapes depending on the plant species, invisible to the naked eye.
Among the plant families involved in allergy to pollen (also called hay fever) are primarily grasses (cocksfoot, couch grass, logliarello) , Oil-bearing trees such as (olive, ash), the Betulaceae (birch, alder), the corylacee (hazel, hornbeam), the Cupressaceae (cypress) and herbaceous plants such as Urticaceae (Parietaria) and composite (wormwood, ragweed ).
The pollen is produced in allergic people when the concentration of pollen in the air reaches a certain threshold.
Trees produce pollen from January to May, the grass from April to July and the herbaceous plants from March to October.
The same plants mountains (at altitudes of 600-1000 meters) emit pollen a month later than the plain: attention then the choice of the date of the holiday. What should you do when you are allergic to pollen?
a. Carefully follow your doctor's instructions on the use of anti-allergic drugs,
b. Knowing the plants that release pollen because of their allergy and timing of pollination.
Obviously it is impossible to avoid all contact with the pollen. E ', however, can limit the damage during the pollen season:
- Close the windows when you go by car, do not ride a bicycle or scooter;
- Avoid camping and picnic;
- Going on vacation in seaside resorts, which are less rich in pollen ;
- After dark the day the pollen density is highest, and therefore need to close the windows;
- Avoid the countryside and places where the grass has been cut recently.
Weather conditions affect the concentration of pollen in the air: quest 'last increased on windy days, but also when there is a warm climate (25 -30 ° C) and a relative humidity of 60-90%. For this reason, in these conditions, to minimize the time spent outdoors.
pollinosici I also have to take a shower in the evening to return home.
few exceptions those with allergies can cultivate or keep at home the flowers without danger because the pollen of colorful flowers and fragrant propagate very little atmosphere.
Honey may contain the allergen pollen to which an allergic person can react.

Finally, remember that there is cross-allergenicity between pollen and certain foods. Among the better known associations include:
- mugwort and celery;
- birch and apple, as well as peach, apricot, carrot and celery;
- and ambrosia melon and banana
- grass and tomato and, to a lesser extent, peanuts.