Unfortunately, for 3 out of 10 Italians, spring is synonymous with allergies, in particular with regards to allergic rhinitis, more commonly known as hay fever. To understand what allergies are, what they are caused by, how we can cure them and what false myths need to be dispelled, we spoke to Professor Renato Gaini, director of the ENT Clinic of the University of Milan – Bicocca.
Spring allergies: what they are, what to know and how to prevent them
How can we distinguish allergic rhinitis from a normal cold due to a seasonal illness?
Allergic rhinitis typically appears following exposure to allergens. The main symptoms are itching, nasal obstruction, sneezing and watery rhinorrhea and can sometimes be associated with watery eyes, conjunctivitis and dry cough. On the contrary, rhinitis due to viral or bacterial infectious causes is more often associated with mucopurulent rhinorrhea and fever.
Can we prevent the onset of allergies by paying attention to our diet?
There is no cross reactivity between histamine-rich foods and inhalant allergens. However, since allergic symptoms are due to the release of histamine-like substances, for a predisposed individual it would be good practice to avoid foods rich in histamine which tend to worsen the clinical picture, such as shellfish, fermented cheeses, sausages, anchovies.
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Just as they can manifest themselves for the first time even in adulthood, appearing suddenly, can respiratory allergies also disappear, perhaps after a particular physical state such as a pregnancy?
Yes, allergies can appear for the first time even in adults, although the symptoms usually tend to gradually decrease with age. During pregnancy the immune response changes and is generally more tolerant towards allergens, but allergies still tend to recur after giving birth.
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Do allergies occur due to a genetic predisposition or do they mainly depend on environmental factors?
Allergies are multifactorial pathologies, characterized by a genetic predisposition, which is then influenced by food and environmental factors, the first of which is air pollution which paralyzes the cilia of the respiratory system, increasing its permeability to allergens. The substances inhaled in this way pass the mucosal barrier where they trigger the immune response in the predisposed subject.
What false myths – such as the use of vitamins or sea water – can we dispel when talking about allergies?
To prevent the appearance of allergic symptoms, the only effective means is to avoid exposure to the allergen: removing it with nasal washes; avoiding external environments during the pollination period; paying particular attention to environmental hygiene in the case of allergies to dust mites, mold and animal dander.
Is respiratory allergy really typical of spring?
Some respiratory allergies are characterized by seasonality, but it is also interesting to correlate them with latitude and altitude: for example birches have a flowering period from the beginning of February to the end of April in northern Italy, while in the center pollination takes place with about a month late. Ambrosia blooms between mid-August and October in the northern regions, while it is absent in Southern Italy. There are also so-called “perennial” allergies, which therefore occur indifferently at all times of the year, such as dust mites, mold and animal dandruff.
What is the degree of effectiveness of prevention therapies with vaccines?
It has been shown that after approximately three years of administration of the vaccine the allergic symptoms undergo an attenuation, even if sometimes it is a temporary efficacy leaving the doubt whether it is a real attenuation of the symptoms or a lack of immune response.
What are the main self-medication drugs that can relieve the symptoms related to allergic rhinitis? And which are the most used?
The most commonly used non-prescription drugs are antihistamines, both for topical and systemic use. In particular, among the drugs for systemic use we find cetirizine, loratadine, promethazine and diphenhydramia. These are often combined with nasal sprays and eye drops containing deschloropheniramine, diphenhydramine and promethazine, and with vasoconstrictors in the form of nasal sprays, such as ephedrine and naphthazoline. It is important to make appropriate use of this type of spray, since, if abused, they can cause significant atrophic effects on the nasal mucosa.
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2024-03-28 09:02:23
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