| | | If you're having trouble viewing this email, click here | | | | | | | All You Ever Needed to Know About Hay Fever | Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is the most common chronic disease, affecting up to 30 percent of the population. It is the most common reason for chronic sinus and nasal problems. Children and young adults are the most common age groups affected by hay fever, although many older adults and elderly people also experience symptoms. | | | | | Pollen Allergies | | Hay fever is caused by inflammation and irritation of the nasal passages due to seasonal and year-round allergens. Symptoms of hay fever include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itching of the nose, and post-nasal drip. Not all people experience all of the symptoms of hay fever, and when one symptom predominates, it may be a clue as to the cause or what would work best for treatment. | | | | | | Don't Miss These Hay Fever Symptoms | | Hay fever is diagnosed when a person has convincing symptoms, and physical exam findings are consistent with this disease. However, in order for hay fever to be properly diagnosed, allergy testing is needed. Positive allergy tests are required to diagnose hay fever; negative allergy testing suggests non-allergic rhinitis. While allergy testing can be accomplished with skin testing or blood tests (RAST), skin testing is the preferred method of testing because it is more accurate. | | | | | | Hay Fever Treatment | | The treatment of hay fever can be accomplished in one of three ways: Avoidance, medications or immunotherapy. Many people will utilize more than one of these approaches to best treat their hay fever symptoms. Avoidance of the causes of hay fever can often be the best way to prevent symptoms. There is essentially no cost, no medication side effects, and is theoretically curative for hay fever. However, avoidance of airborne pollens is difficult, at best. Simply opening a window or door, or walking outside, results in pollen exposure. So unless you want to live in a bubble, avoiding pollen is pretty difficult. | | | | | | | | | You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Allergies newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here.
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