Allergy to wormwood: causes, symptoms, treatment

Allergy to wormwood, also called hay fever, is a seasonal condition. Its symptoms appear in the middle of summer and persist until the beginning of autumn, since it is during this period that wormwood blooms. Often, signs of this disease also occur with the use of certain foods that can cause cross-allergy.

Causes of an allergic reaction

The development of allergies is due to the increased sensitivity of the immune system to various irritants. With pollinosis, the pollen of the wind-pollinated wormwood plant becomes such an irritant. Allergy to wormwood most often occurs in people at risk. Thus, the following factors significantly increase the chances of developing an allergic reaction:

• weakening of the immune system against the background of various diseases, poor nutrition, excessively high or low physical activity;
• living in an unfavorable ecological environment;
• the presence of other allergic diseases;
• removal of tonsils.

At the same time, the absence of these predisposing factors does not mean that a person is insured against the onset of the disease. It is worth noting that in the overwhelming majority of cases, with an allergy to wormwood, an allergic reaction to citrus fruits, bee products and sunflower seeds develops. This is due to the fact that wormwood pollen, citrus fruits, honey and seeds have similar antigenic structures.

Main manifestations

Usually, symptoms of an allergy to wormwood occur only during the flowering period of the plant, however, after consumption products that cross-cause the disease, a deterioration in well-being can be noted at any time of the year. Typical signs of an allergic reaction include

• runny nose;
• nasal congestion;
• itching feeling in the nose;
• frequent sneezing;
• sore throat;

• hoarseness of voice;
• redness of the eyes;
• lacrimation;
• feeling of "sand" under the eyelids;
• intolerance to bright light.

Doctors call the complex of these symptoms rhinoconjunctivitis, it is especially characteristic of hay fever. Much less often there are other signs of allergy to wormwood pollen: itching and rashes on the skin, edema of the paraorbital tissue or extremities. Symptoms are more common when eating foods that cause cross-allergic reactions. In addition, general health worsens to varying degrees: headaches, irritability and insomnia appear, and working capacity decreases.

In some people, allergies to pollen grains or to foods that provoke it cross-over are especially difficult: there are attacks of suffocation. Difficulty breathing is associated with laryngeal edema. This condition can be very life-threatening, so it requires emergency medical attention.

Treatment and prevention of pollinosis

Unfortunately, during the flowering period of wormwood, it is impossible to completely protect against the penetration of irritating agents into the body. However, treatment and prevention means minimizing exposure to pollen as much as possible. In addition, diet helps to avoid interactions with allergens.

• avoid long-term stay outdoors, especially in places where wormwood grows;
• in hot, dry and windy weather, stay at home;
• if going outside can not be avoided, use glasses, special respirators or gauze bandages, but remember that the latter require regular replacement;
• during an exacerbation of pollinosis, remove carpets and soft toys from the room;
• do a wet cleaning of the house every day to remove pollen entering the room;
• bathe every day, wash your hair and change your clothes;
• don't forget how important diet is;
• refrain from drying clothes and clothes in the open air;
• cover windows with special pollen-trapping nets;
• install an air conditioner or humidifier in the room, remember that airing the room can only be done after rain or at night;
• transfer your vacation to the period when the wormwood blooms, and spend it where this plant does not grow.

Thanks to such measures, an allergy to wormwood will proceed much easier, the frequency of its exacerbations will significantly decrease. To remove the allergen from the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, for some people, doctors, prescribing the main treatment, also recommend rinsing the nasal passages and gargling.

Drug treatment

Almost all people suffering from hay fever need medication. For this purpose, antihistamines are prescribed:

• Cetirizine;
• Loratadine;
• Akrivastin.

They stop the further progression of the allergic reaction.

Nasal drops with decongestants help to reduce unpleasant symptoms, in particular, a runny nose, itching and nasal congestion:

• Nazivin;
• Nazol;
• Tizine.

They normalize the lumen of the vessels of the epithelium of the nasal passages, reducing its edema. There are also vasoconstrictor eye drops. Their treatment is indicated in the presence of symptoms of conjunctivitis.

In the case of low efficacy of decongestants, topical glucocorticosteroids are used to combat the symptoms of hay fever:

• Budesonide;
• Mometasone;
• Fluticasone.

If hay fever is very severe, treatment with systemic corticosteroid medications may be required.

Medical treatment is chosen exclusively by the doctor, since the number of drugs and their dosages directly depend on the severity of the allergy. Some medicines are allowed to be used when needed, while others have serious side effects and can only be used under the supervision of a specialist. This therapy helps even in cases where the allergy to wormwood has arisen crosswise. The need for medicines usually persists throughout the entire flowering season of wormwood, at other times diet and prevention come to the fore.

Diet for hay fever

For people who are allergic to wormwood, diet is of the utmost importance. It is necessary to completely exclude from the menu all products that cause an allergic reaction cross-linked. It is forbidden to eat:

• any citrus fruits (orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lime, lemon, pomelo, kumquat, bergamot);
• beekeeping products (honey, propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen, bee pollen);
• sunflower seeds.

Such a diet should always be followed, because allergies to the listed foods do not depend on the season.

With hay fever, it is especially important to monitor the intake of all the necessary nutrients in the body, since the work of the immune system directly depends on this. In this regard, allergy sufferers need a diet that excludes "heavy" foods. Try to eat less fatty, fried, smoked, spicy and spicy foods. Minimize the consumption of foods that contain artificially synthesized flavors, colors, preservatives and other food additives. The diet must necessarily include vegetable oils, fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as cereals, lean meat, fish and dairy products. Be healthy!