Pollinosis is a common seasonal chronic disease that causes pollen from flowering plants that are pollinated by wind or contact with other allergens: house dust, wool, household chemicals, pollen or other irritants that a person encounters in a particular season or year.

It mainly affects the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, causing seasonal allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, nasopharyngitis, laryngitis and damage to the mucous membranes of the eyes, causing conjunctivitis.

In some cases, it can manifest itself in the form of cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and asthma attacks, up to the development of bronchial asthma. Due to the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, the quality of life can deteriorate significantly: nasal secretions interfere with breathing, this disrupts sleep, reduces overall performance, there is a feeling of constant fatigue. Some people occasionally have a runny nose, itching, and tears that run from the eyes and cause discomfort but do not seem serious.
In fact, this is not the case. Pollinosis is dangerous because it can provoke the development of bronchial asthma. At the first signs of the disease you should visit an allergist and follow all his recommendations regarding medication, nutrition, lifestyle. Seasonal allergic rhinitis most often occurs in spring and summer after contact with pollen during flowering grass and trees. In autumn, the most common allergen is ragweed. Sometimes the causative agent of the disease is a fungal mold.

Each of us has probably heard that allergic reactions are directly dependent on the state of the immune system. But how do immune disorders cause allergies?

Allergy - an excessive reaction of the immune system to foreign substances (allergens).

An allergic reaction occurs when there is a malfunction of the immune system. In response to the allergen, the body activates immune cells (B-lymphocytes), which produce specific protein molecules - immunoglobulins, which are then fixed on the surface of mast cells (they make up connective tissue as part of the immune system). This process is called sensitization. Upon repeated contact with the allergen is immunoglobulin-dependent activation of cells, after which biologically active substances are released: histamine and others.

Therefore, antihistamines are often used to alleviate the clinical manifestations of allergies. They block the receptors to which histamine binds - a substance responsible for the development of allergy symptoms, help eliminate symptoms. But often they do not help, and we are looking for new and new remedies for allergies.

People who are allergic to plant pollen need to follow certain rules when organizing daily life:

• Try to walk down the street after the rain, which washes the pollen from the air. Be sure to wash or wipe your face with a damp towel after a walk. It is better to go to the shower and change clothes, because the allergen can settle on hair and clothes.
• Try not to be in the open sun, wear sunglasses on the street.
• Take a vacation during the period of intense flowering of plants that cause allergies, and go where the allergen flowering has already ended. You can learn about such regions by looking at the allergy forecast.
• Do not open the window in the car. If it has air conditioning - use it. Get in the car a few minutes after turning on the air conditioner to get rid of the accumulated allergens.

Plan active physical activity for the day and evening, because from 5 to 10 am the concentration of pollen in the air is high.
Install and regularly use air purifiers in your home. If they are not present, when ventilating, cover the window and door openings with 2-3 layers of damp gauze. This can reduce the penetration of pollen into the house. In the evening it is desirable to close the windows - pollen can bring the night wind.

Allergic rhinitis is widespread. From 8 to 12% of all inhabitants of the Earth suffer from this form of allergy.
There are two main forms of the disease:

• Seasonal allergic rhinitis. The most common form. Symptoms of the disease appear at a certain time of the year and are most often due to contact with the pollen of certain plants.
• Year-round allergic rhinitis. Symptoms of the disease are expressed throughout the year or occur periodically regardless of the season.
• Usually, allergic rhinitis develops in people with a hereditary predisposition to allergic diseases. The most frequent cause of the development of seasonal rhinitis of allergic etiology is grass and tree pollen.

What is the picture of allergic rhinitis? Discharge of a watery secretion from the nose; sneezing, often paroxysmal; stuffy nose and thick mucous secretion; itching of the nose and conjunctiva (and redness), ears, palate and throat; violation of smell; dryness of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity; sometimes — systemic symptoms: sleep disturbances, concentration of attention and ability to study, slight increase in body temperature, headache, depressed mood.

A watery secretion and sneezing mainly indicate seasonal allergic rhinitis, the prevalence of nasal congestion indicates chronic allergic rhinitis.