Allergy is a disease that occurs when our body mistakenly mistake a harmless foreign substance for a very dangerous substance.
For example, pollen mainly floats in the air during the changing seasons, but it is generally not harmful even if it enters the body for a short time. However, a person’s immune system enters an emergency state by considering pollen as a harmful and dangerous substance like parasites and bacteria.
Therefore, it over-defends and attacks pollen, causing inflammation, red, swollen nose, runny nose, irritation, and sneezing. This over-defense of the immune system is called allergy. If it occurs in the eyes, it is conjunctivitis, if it occurs in the bronchi in the lungs, it becomes asthma.
Allergies get worse in spring, and allergic rhinitis is a typical example. In spring, there is a lot of pollen from trees, which increases exposure. Birch pollen, especially in spring, is a strong allergy.
House dust mites also multiply in spring and increase in number, which can exacerbate allergic rhinitis. Rhinitis causes itching in the inner corner of the eye close to the nose, which further bothers the patient.
Asthma is often caused by hay fever, and especially in the changing seasons, when the temperature difference is large, it is easy to catch a cold, making both rhinitis and asthma worse.
If allergy symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing are left untreated, it will have a major impact on sleep. Snoring can also become severe and cause sleep apnea.
Chronic fatigue is caused by not being able to get a good night’s sleep even when sleeping. In fact, if you look at the EEG, the time when rhinitis patients wake up from a deep sleep and enter a state of fine arousal is 10 times higher. If rhinitis persists, it can worsen into sinusitis, which can cause a chronic cough.
There are two main types of nasal sprays. First of all, nasal vasoconstrictors are readily available at drugstores, and although they temporarily pierce the nose, it is not recommended to use them continuously for more than 5 days. Because of the many side effects, it should be used temporarily only when nasal congestion is very severe.
Instead, we recommend nasal spray steroids prescribed by hospitals. Although the effect does not appear immediately, it is more effective than other drugs if used continuously for more than a week. Unlike oral steroids, it is safe to use for a long time and is effective for all rhinitis symptoms and itchy eyes.
There are also studies showing that it is safe even for a two-year-old baby and that it is safe for the nose even if used daily for more than 30 years.
You cannot completely avoid pollen through your lifestyle. However, when driving a car, it is better not to leave the window open all the time and to ventilate the vehicle briefly. In addition, washing your body well after going out, washing or washing clothes frequently, and vacuuming with a good HEPA filter also helps to reduce pollen in the house.
Lastly, I would like to emphasize that the best prevention and treatment is the continuous use of nasal steroids.