THE CLASSICAL ALLERGIC DISEASES: HAY-FEVER
Pollen, produced by plants and carried on the wind, is the most notorious of the airborne allergens – it causes the symptoms known to doctors as seasonal rhinitis and conjunctivitis and to the rest of the world as hay-fever. Not all
hay-fever sufferers respond to the same pollen, and the timing of the symptoms will depend on which pollen is the culprit.
Mast cells in the nose and eyes respond to the proteins in the outer coat of the pollen grain. The mediators that are released cause inflammation of the delicate membranes, which the hay-fever sufferer experiences as red, itchy, watery eyes, and a runny or congested nose. Some people also suffer from itching in the mouth or ears. Irritability and fatigue may accompany these physical symptoms, although whether these occur as a direct effect of the allergens on the nervous system, or simply a secondary effect of the unpleasant physical symptoms, is debatable.
Food can probably contribute to hay-fever, though pollen is always the major allergen. Some people find that by avoiding particular foods they reduce their sensitivity to pollen, and a lucky few lose their hay-fever symptoms altogether. Sensitivity to foods can also mimic hay-fever, if the foods concerned cause rhinitis and are only eaten in the summer, or in much larger amounts then.
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