More than 25 percent of the population has an allergy to one or more substances. In half of the cases, the allergy is caused by pollen. In these cases one speaks of hay fever. It is expected that the next generation will only suffer more from allergies, of which hay fever is the most common. Fortunately, there is the hay fever calendar, which indicates when and which pollen is in the air.

What is hay fever?

Hay fever is a seasonal allergy. Hay fever involves an allergy to pollen grains. Hay fever mainly occurs during the haying season: when grass pollen is released during the haying season. Pollen is pollen from plants. The allergy is caused by pollen from wind pollinators. These are plants that have their pollen carried by the wind. Plants that are pollinated by insects cause less inconvenience to people with hay fever, because the pollen does not float freely through the air. Hay fever consists of an allergy to certain proteins found on the pollen grains.

What can you be allergic to?

In most cases, people with hay fever are allergic to grass pollen. These occur en masse everywhere. Ragweed is also becoming increasingly common in these regions. In addition, many allergies to birch occur in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. The alder, beech, oak and hazel are also trees that can cause hay fever, as are mugwort or plantain. All wind-pollinated plants/trees can cause an allergy.People with an allergy to tree pollen are also at risk of developing a food allergy to the fruits of trees. This often concerns apple, pear, cherry, peach and various nuts. An allergy to mugwort can also cause a food allergy to celery.

What causes hay fever?

An allergy occurs because the body overreacts to foreign molecules with which we come into contact. Pollen from the air ends up on the mucous membranes. The allergens, which are the proteins that cause the allergy, dissolve in the mucus. Normally the body recognizes the substances as a non-harmful substance. However, with hay fever the body overreacts to the allergens and produces antibodies. The immune system comes into action.People with hay fever have a hereditary predisposition to this. Hay fever often affects several people within one family. People born in the winter months also seem to develop hay fever more quickly. Moreover , hay fever can only develop when one comes into contact with pollen.

Recognize hay fever

Most hay fever complaints occur from mid-May to August: during this period the grasses bloom. Some trees bloom as early as February or March. Most complaints occur in windy weather and when the sun is shining. In rainy weather, the pollen settles and there are few complaints.During an allergy reaction, the substance histamine is released into the body. This substance causes the symptoms of hay fever. This can consist of:

• Sneezing, running nose, nasal congestion
• Red eyes, burning eyes, itchy eyes, watery eyes
• Existing eczema can worsen
• Coughing, tickling in the throat, voice complaints, clearing the throat, shortness of breath
• Fatigue, listlessness

Hay fever usually first starts between the ages of 6 and 25. Developing real hay fever takes several months to years. After the first real time, the complaints keep coming back every year. After about twenty years, the complaints usually decrease. After the age of 40, few people still suffer from hay fever.

Therapy

It is best to avoid pollen as much as possible. In windy weather, complaints will be much less at sea, especially when the wind also comes from the sea. Otherwise, try to stay indoors. The complaints will also be less in the early morning than in the afternoon. Also keep an eye on the pollen radar: on some websites and on teletext you can find overviews of the amount of pollen in the air.Anti-allergic medications are often available at the drugstore or through your GP. Most medications work sufficiently and have little to no side effects. It is important to take the right medications. With sublingual immunotherapy, drops are kept under the tongue for three minutes and then swallowed. These drops contain proteins to which people are allergic. The dosage is increased slowly. In this way, the body is frequently exposed to the allergens, so that the defense will be less intense. Only available through your GP.