Pollen Allergy

Pollen grains contain proteins that cause the immune system in an allergic person to over-react. Exposure to the allergen proteins causes the production of antibodies known as Immunoglobulin E, which in turn trigger a release of histamine from mast cells, a type of immune cell. It is histamine that leads to symptoms of allergy like redness, sneezing, swelling and runny nose. A skin prick test, in which you are exposed to various pollen allergens, will confirm whether you have an allergy. Pollen grains that cause allergies are between 10 and 40 microns in size with most being between 20 and 35 microns. Some pollen grains fragment into particles around one micron in size. Pollen can travel a long way through the air, which is why allergies occur in cities and pollen is found high in the atmosphere and miles out to sea.

1) Hay fever, also known as seasonal rhinitis. Symptoms include:

• Itchy nose
• Nasal congestion
• Frequent sneezing
• Runny nose

2) Asthma symptoms include:

• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Tight chest
• Difficulty in exhaling

3) Conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva, which are the membranes lining the inside of the eyelids) symptoms include:

• Itchy eyes
• Watery eyes
• Reddening of the eyes
• Swollen eyelids

The size and shape of pollen grains favour their deposition on the conjunctiva.

In the United Kingdom, the most common allergens are (in order):

1. House dust mite 
2. Grass pollen 
3. Cat Dander 
4. Tree pollen

Warm airlifts pollen high into the atmosphere during the day. When air cools down, as dusk falls, pollen starts to descend. You may well be exposed to one of these ‘pollen showers’ in the early hours of the morning if you sleep with a window open. Helpful tips are to:

• Check the pollen forecast before planning your day's activities
• Try to limit your time spent outside during the pollen season, especially at peak pollen times like early morning and late evening
• Keep the windows of your car closed and use air conditioning fitted with a pollen filter
• Alternatively, purchase an air purifier for your car, such as the IQAir Atem Car Air Purifier
• Avoid mowing the lawn or raking up leaves
• Wear sunglasses when you are outside
• Use an air purifier in your bedroom. This will allow your immune system to recover and thus be in better shape when exposed to allergens during the day.

A dust mask filters out pollen grains larger than 5 microns and may be useful sometimes. The main problem with dust masks are:

a) they only filter out large particle pollution 
b) that they restrict your breathing

The better the filter media of the dust mask is, the more restricted your breathing will be. The result is that you will breathe the smallest and most harmful pollution deeper into your lungs than you would without wearing a dust mask. For that reason, we do not recommend using dust masks when cycling. Alternatively, use a scarf over your nose or smear a little Vaseline inside your nostrils to trap some of the pollen grains.

Try these tips to reduce exposure:

• Change into clean clothes when you get home, particularly before entering the bedroom. Wash your clothes with Allersearch Allergen Wash Laundry Detergent to remove all natural allergens.
• Wash your hair to remove any pollen when you get home, especially during the pollen season.
• Pets carry pollen on their fur, so make sure to wash them regularly with PET+ Pet Shampoo, which is specially designed to neutralise allergens.
• A good air filtration cleaner will help to get rid of air-borne pollen, if it moves enough air and has a high filtration efficiency.
• Damp dust or vacuum to get rid of dust and the pollen it contains.
• Don't hang clothes out to dry in the pollen season.
• Keep windows in the home closed when pollen counts are high.

Tree, grass and weed pollens contain hay fever allergens. These have small, insignificant flowers which do not attract insects. Generally, the brightly coloured flowers of insect-pollinated garden plants like roses or wild plants, including poppies, do not cause hay fever. The tiny grains of pollen (ranging in size from 0.25 to 100 microns) readily become airborne and are capable of travelling through the air many miles from their source.

Check the lists below to see which pollens might be causing your hay fever:

Trees

Ash
Birch
Cedar
Chestnut
Cypress
Elder
Elm
Hazel
Oak
Poplar
Sycamore
Walnut
Willow

Grass

Dogstail
Fescue
Foxtail
Meadow
Oat
Rye
Timothy
Vernal

Weeds

Dock
Mugwort
Nettle
Plantain
Ragweed
Sorrel
Wall pellitory

Grass releases pollen from around 7 in the morning and later in the day if the ground is damp. Some grass species don't release their pollen until the afternoon.

Birch trees release their pollen between noon and 6 pm.