Studies have shown that 40% of people with hay fever suffer from asthma sometime in their lives, said Mohammad Reza Fazlollahi, a faculty member of Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
“The chances are as high as 80% according to some research, and for those with one or both parents having the allergy, the chances increase to 50 -70 percent,” he said, quoted by IRNA.
Hay fever and pollinosis are both forms of allergic rhinitis (allergic inflammation of the nasal airways). It occurs when an allergen, such as pollen, dust, or animal dander (particles of shed skin and hair) is inhaled by an individual with a sensitized immune system. Symptoms resembling a cold or flu can be produced by an allergic reaction to pollen from plants and grasses.
Although seasonal allergic reaction is more prevalent during spring and summer, it not specific to those seasons and can happen with warming of the earth at any time of the year.
“If treatment is not taken seriously, the respiratory organs will swell up and turn the allergy into asthma which is much harder to treat; that is why every individual suffering from the allergy must seek medical help immediately,” Fazlollahi added.
Allergic rhinitis is currently 20 to 30% prevalent in the country. Antihistamine drugs can be taken to control symptoms such as sneezing, rhinorrhea, itching, and conjunctivitis.
There are various measures one can take to prevent the allergic reaction such as staying indoors between 6 am and 10 am when pollen count is highest, wearing wraparound sunglasses to protect eyes from pollen or particles, keeping doors and windows shut during mid-morning and early evening, showering and changing clothes after coming from outside and avoiding grassy areas, such as parks and fields, as much as possible, Fazlollahi recommended.
