Diagnosis
In many cases an allergy can be diagnosed by a good anamnesis (conversation about the medical history). Especially if the symptoms occur frequently at a certain time of the year or only in the open air. In addition, an allergy can be diagnosed by certain provocations of the body using the potential allergens.
For example, proteins from various plants can be pricked into the skin with a fine needle and it can be waited to see whether an allergic redness appears at the prick (prick test). Alternatively, a blood test can be carried out, in which the blood is examined for antibodies against the pollen. The last option is a direct provocation test, in which the potentially allergenic substance is applied to the mucous membrane. However, this should only be done under medical supervision.
Treatment of a pollen allergy
The therapy of pollen allergy consists of three components. First, it is important to avoid contact with the allergens. This is difficult in the case of a pollen allergy, because despite the pollen allergy one would certainly still like to step outside the front door.
One possibility is to change your clothes after entering the apartment and possibly even wash your hair. In addition, the pollen load after a rain shower is not so strong anymore. So you should leave the house after a rainfall if possible.
You can also use breathing masks. These are also used during construction work to protect yourself from dust. They keep the pollen away from the respiratory tract and help you to do sports even when the pollen count is high.
The second component of therapy is drug therapy.For this purpose, drugs such as antihistamines (histamine receptor blockers), glucocorticoids (cortisone) or sympatomimetics (nasal spray) are used. These help to reduce swelling of the mucous membranes and reduce the inflammatory symptoms. The third component of therapy is specific immunotherapy.
This is also known as “hyposensitization” or desensitization. Desensitization is nowadays replaced by the terms “specific immunotherapy” or “hyposensitization“. It describes the only therapy that fights the cause of the allergy and not just the symptoms.
Immunotherapy should be started as early as possible, usually from the age of five. The reason for starting early is that people with allergies to one or a few substances have a higher chance of success than people with many allergies. During the treatment the patient is exposed to allergoids in increasing doses.
Allergoids are allergens that have been purified and standardized. They have therefore been modified for medical use. The aim is to reduce the sensitivity of the body to allergens over time.
The body gets used to the allergens, so to speak. Therefore, the excessive reaction of the immune system does not occur. The duration of the therapy is usually about 3 to 5 years.
For pollen allergy sufferers, desensitization is often interrupted during the pollen season and continued after the pollen season. There are effective medications for pollen allergy. However, these only combat the symptoms, not the cause of the allergy.
For example, antihistamines are often used. The newer generation of antihistamines has fewer side effects than previous generations and can be used as a nasal spray (locally) or in tablet form (systemically via the blood). Glucocorticoids (cortisone) can also be used locally or systemically.
Glucocorticoids are said to have the strongest effect in the drug therapy of allergy symptoms, whereas systemic glucocorticoid therapy can have strong side effects if used over a longer period of time. Sympathomimentia (substances similar to adrenaline) in the form of nasal sprays or nasal drops also help to reduce swelling of the nasal mucous membrane. However, even these should only be used for a short period of time, as they can quickly lead to dependence or inflammation of the nasal mucosa (rhinitis medicamentosa).
