The kind of environment one is exposed to these days has undoubtedly severe impacts on physiology of a human body and more particularly relating to nasal allergies. If you feel like you have been succumbing to frequent colds and choking of nose that deteriorate your whole day’s schedule, you have been a victim of nasal allergies. You may encounter it in many forms, just as your “cold” may not look like cold where you may have fallen prey to hay fever, chronic nasal allergy or allergic rhinitis.
You might be interested to know who the culprits for such infectious allergies are. They are too small and seemingly harmless substances such as pollen or mold.
Allergens are the substances that trigger nasal allergies after more than normal and excessive one’s exposure to it causing the immune system to exaggerate and buckle under.
Such allergens are specific to you, for the ones that cause you stuffy or runny nose or other symptoms may not hinder someone else exposed to the same allergens.
TYPES OF NASAL ALLERGIES
- Seasonal Allergies: Popularly known as hay fever which occurs during certain time of the year.
- Perennial Allergies: These Occur mostly throughout the whole year as existence of certain substances (cockroach, mold spores & dust mites) all the year.
NASAL ALLERGIES CAUSES
It’s a fierce battle between immune system and otherwise harmless substances and the battle ground lies inside your body.
Normally the mighty immune system of your body turns out to be the winner by warding off the attacks of potentially harmful microscopic invaders (bacteria, viruses etc).
Occasionally when an allergen manages to enter your body ,your immune system senses the dangerous situation and launches a defense by releasing powerful chemicals called ‘histamine’ which makes your nose run and feel like entry of Tsunami in your nose eventually causing sneezing and other discomfort.
It’s a misunderstood response by the body but the price has to be paid in the form of such nasal allergies.
NASAL ALLERGIES SYMPTOMS
- Nasal Congestion (Stuffy Nose): Stuffy Nose while discharging chemicals against an allergen may cause the nose to swell.
- Sneezing: Sneezing is body’s reaction to an irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose or throat.
- Itchy Nose: An itchy nose is tickling or uneasy irritation of the skin that directs you to scratch the nose and makes you restless if you do not.
- Runny Nose: Runny nose is the release of mucous-like fluid from the nose.
- Sinus Pressure: Small cavities behind your forehead, cheeks and eyes are Sinuses areas where the buildup of mucus may result in your allergies.
TREATMENT (Curing the right way)
How to get rid of such unpredictable and obnoxious allergies?
Let’s check out the treatments/Medications for the same that might ease your allergic problems:
- Shunning the substances that trigger such symptoms.
- Medications, which helps to either treat or prevent symptoms:
- Sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose/throat– Antihistamine.
- Stuffy nose– Decongestant.
- Combo of sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose/throat, and stuffy nose- Antihistamine plus a decongestant. For more severe symptoms, steroids, cromolyn (Intal, Opticrom, Gastrocrom), or anti cholinergic agents may be added.
- Immunotherapy – Injections that make you less sensitive to the substances causing allergic reactions.
Do not ignore nasal allergy symptoms, because they can hurt your quality of life – and get worse.
