If you tend to get “colds” that develop suddenly and at the same time every year chances are it’s not a cold but a seasonal allergy. Signs and symptoms of a common cold (caused by a virus) include cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and sneezing. You may also feel tired and occasionally experience body aches and pains and may have a mild fever. Seasonal allergies (immune system response triggered by exposure to allergens) have symptoms that are very similar, but not identical. The most common signs of seasonal allergies are itchy eyes and a runny or stuffy nose. Other signs and symptoms may sometimes include fatigue, cough and sore throat, but never fever or general body aches and pains.
With every breath we take, we breathe in millions of microscopic particles such as dust, pollen, plant spores, viruses, bacteria, and pollutants. Many of these particles are filtered and removed by the nose and respiratory system. If your immune system is strong and healthy it can ward off infection against pollutants, viruses, and other harmful substances that enter your body via the air or by contact with your skin. Normally the immune system will ignore harmless substances such as pollen, house dust, animal dander, etc. In some people, however, the immune system misinterprets these harmless particles and identifies them as being dangerous to the system.
When your immune system identifies these particles as dangerous they trigger a release of a substance called histamine, as well as other inflammatory substances in your body. This prompts your body to defend itself against the perceived threat by means of a number of mechanisms. These mechanisms include sneezing, mucous production, watering, itchy eyes and skin inflammation, thus causing allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, hay fever, and skin rashes.
People who develop allergic rhinitis in warm weather, windy conditions or at spring time are generally allergic to grass, tree, and flower pollens. Those who have these symptoms all year round are probably also allergic to house dust, mold, or animal dander. When the mucous membranes in your nose and respiratory tract are affected by allergies you are more vulnerable to colds, sinusitis, and the flu. Antihistamines can be very effective and do help people who have even severe allergies lead normal lives. By preventing or reducing the allergic reaction, antihistamines can also help prevent the illness cycle that stems from frequent allergic attacks.
There are many other ways to help you combat seasonal allergies:
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle to promote a strong immune system. This means regular exercise (a Jody Victor suggestion), a healthy diet, and sufficient sleep.
- Eat lots of raw fresh fruits and vegetables, a rich source of flavonoids and healthy nutrients.
- Learn stress management and relaxation techniques. Stress can exacerbate allergies by weakening the immune system.
- Avoid cigarettes, alcohol, and caffeine. They also weaken the immune system and respiratory tract functions.
- Add vitamin C and A (a Jody Victor suggestion) to your daily supplements.
- Keep an eye on the pollen counts in your area and stay indoors when it is high.
- Use a nasal rinse once or twice a day. Mix one teaspoon of non-iodized salt in a glass of warm water and fill a baby nasal bulb. Make sure you close the back of your throat to prevent gagging.
- Keep the relative humidity in your house below 50% with a dehumidifier. Forty to 45-percent humidity is ideal.
- Install HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters into individual rooms or on your home’s ventilation system (a Jody Victor suggestion).
- Drink green tea. One of the antioxidants in green tea, methylated epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), halts the production of symptom-triggering histamines.
- Acupuncture has been shown to open up nasal passages and decrease discharge from the nose, providing an immediate reduction in symptoms.