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Hay Fever

Medical Questions » Hay Fever
Name: Hay Fever
Also known as: Allergic Rhinitis
Allergy reaction affecting the lining of the nose.
Causes of Hay Fever
May be due to any one of several million different pollens, microscopic animals such as the house dust mite, or skin, scale or hair particles from animals. When the sensitive moist membranes that line the nose first come into contact with the sensitizing particle (an allergen), there is no reaction, but the body' s immune system is primed to react to the next invasion. On the second exposure, the large immunoglobulin proteins that act to defend the body against invasion by any foreign matter react violently. They cluster around mast cells that rupture and release histamine into the nasal tissues. This causes the tissue to become inflamed. After a few hours or days, the body destroys the histamine released, and the tissues return to normal. 10% of the population are affected.
Symptoms of Hay Fever
The nose drips constantly and is clogged, the patient sneezes repeatedly, has bad breath, a constant drip of phlegm down the throat and red eyes. Usually occurs for only a few weeks or months of the year.
Tests for Hay Fever
Blood tests may show an increase in certain types of cells and immunoglobulins.
Treatment for Hay Fever
Antihistamines and pseudoephedrine tablets or nose sprays counteract the histamine released into the tissue and ease the symptoms, but some types of antihistamine may cause drowsiness. Steroid nasal sprays and/or anti-allergy sprays used regularly prevent the nose from reacting to allergens. Patients who suffer repeatedly can have blood or skin tests performed to determine exactly which dusts and pollens cause the hay fever and if a cause can be found, a course of thirty or more weekly injections may be given to permanently desensitize the patient. The last resort is surgery in which part of the lining of the nasal cavity is removed by burning (diathermy), and some of the curly bones within the nose (turbinates) are cut out so that there is less membrane to secrete phlegm.
Complications of Hay Fever of its treatment
A secondary bacterial infection may develop to cause sinusitis.
Likely Outcome of Hay Fever
Good control usually possible.
       
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