Many people suffer from allergies, although not everyone knows what exactly they are allergic to. In the Netherlands, two million people suffer from hay fever or tree pollen allergy. How do you find out what you are allergic to and what can you do to limit allergy complaints as much as possible? The most common allergies in the Netherlands are:

• Allergy to pollen from birch, alder, hazel and beech trees, usually occurs in the months of February, March, April, May and June.
• Allergy to grasses, the so-called hay fever, usually occurs in the months of May, June, July, August and September
• Allergy to dust mites
• Allergy to animal dander, hair and feathers
• Allergy to nickel
• Allergy to latex.

If you want to find out what you are allergic to, you can have a test done by your doctor. You can also sometimes estimate this yourself. When are your complaints at their worst? Is this in the months of May to September? Then there is a good chance that you suffer from hay fever.

Outwards

Even someone who is allergic to grasses or tree pollen wants to enjoy the weather on the most beautiful days of the year. What is the best thing to do so that you have as few symptoms as possible from your allergy?

• Go for a walk along the sea. There is less pollen there, especially when the wind comes from the sea. Also in the mountains you usually have less problems with your allergy complaints.
• In the city you will suffer slightly less from your allergies than in the countryside.
• Take a walk right after a rain shower. Then there are fewer pollen in the air.
• Wear sunglasses so that you are less likely to have watery eyes caused by the pollen.
• Take a shower before going to bed to remove the pollen from your body and hair.
• Change clothes in the bathroom to minimize the risk of pollen in the bedroom.
• Plan your outdoor activities in the morning as much as possible. There are more pollen in the air in the afternoon.
• Keep windows and doors closed as much as possible.
• Keep the house clean. Regular vacuuming and wiping the furniture with a damp cloth helps to reduce the pollen that enters your home unnoticed.
• Still having problems with your eyes? Do not scratch it, but place a cold, damp washcloth over the eyes. Eye drops available at drugstores or pharmacies can provide relief.

Diet and tree pollen allergy

People who suffer from a tree pollen allergy are also allergic to tree fruits such as apples, hazelnuts, pears, cherries, walnuts, peach and melon in 63% of cases. This is evident from Swedish research. The complaints often consist of itching in the mouth and throat, sometimes accompanied by a burning sensation and swelling of the tongue and lips shortly after eating these fruits.This also occurs with an allergy to grass pollen, but to a lesser extent. These people are often allergic to peanuts, tomatoes, carrots and potatoes.

Heredity

Allergies are partly hereditary. If one of the parents has an allergy, there is a 30% chance that the child will also develop an allergy. If both parents have an allergy, the chance is much greater, namely 75%. The child is therefore born with a hypersensitivity to allergies. This does not always mean that he or she will also develop an allergy.So you can exert some influence on this by:

• not to smoke during pregnancy and in the vicinity of the baby.
• to exclusively breastfeed your child during the first six months of his life.

GP

If the allergy complaints are serious, so serious that it will affect your life, it is wise to go to the doctor. This can prescribe medication. If necessary, he can also refer you for immunotherapy through injections.