Hay Fever Allergies

There is a condition which causes a runny nose and general irritation around the nasal area which is medically known as Rhinitis. Rhinitis occurs when the membranes in the nose get inflamed and become irritable. Rhinitis is categorized as occurring due to bacterial infection or some viral infection or even due to allergy.

Rhinitis that occurs due to allergy is known as allergic rhinitis. This form of rhinitis occurs when an external allergen causes the immune system to attack the mucous membranes in the nasal area. The immune system believes that the allergen, which has been trapped in the mucous membrane, is harmful to the body and it attacks the area in order to rid the area of the potential threat. However, because the allergen has in fact caused no damage to the area, the healthy cells of the mucous membrane come under attack and become inflamed. This occurs in people who have a tendency to develop allergies based on the functioning of their immune systems.

Hay Fever Causes

The most common form of allergic rhinitis is known as hay fever. The name hay fever comes from the timing of this allergy which occurs during the haying season. The reason behind this occurrence is that during this season, hay particles tend to be released into the air along with pollen from plants that are in their reproductive phase. This, coupled with breezy conditions, can cause pollen to become airborne and to enter the nasal passages of people in the area where the pollen is flying. Most people do not react at all to the pollen and it is expelled from their system in the form of normal mucous expulsion when sneezing or blowing the nose. However, some people have an adverse reaction and this is what is known as hay fever.

Pollen hay fever is caused particularly by grass based pollen. Nearly all the cases of pollen hay fever have been found to be caused by grass. Trees that are responsible for pollen hay fever include cedar, birch, pine, and hazel, to name a few.

Pollen Hay Fever Treatment

Treatments for hay fever are generally based on reducing the symptoms through anti allergy medication. Some people may grow out of the condition while for others it is chronic. In chronic cases, the ideal method of treatment is to avoid the allergen to begin with. Avoidance is difficult and therefore one must have emergency allergy medication as prescribed by the doctor to avoid any sort of major illness arising from the reaction.