Help at hand for hay fever sufferers

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 510, 2 November 1993, Page 13

Help at hand for hay fever sufferers

Up to 600,000 New Zealanders get hayfever (allergic rhinitis), usually starting in spring with tfre— first pollens and lasting through the summer months Jnto February. Hayfever occurs when pollen from trees and grasses is breathed in by susceptible people and causes an allergic reaction. People with hayfever

typically have a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes, sneeze a lot because their nose is irritated and feel off colour. They may also have puffiness around their eyes and the roof of their mouth may feel ticklish and burning. Some people may have headaches. It is very easy to be confused between a cold and hayfever. The symptoms can be similar, the runny nose, etc, but the mucus from the nose is more watery with hayfever.

Some people suffer from hayfever symptoms all year round, often caused by an allergy to the house dust mite and need to see their doctor about this. Pharmacists advise people who get hayfever to try to avoid places, if possible, where there is a lot of pollen about, such as parks and gardens during spring, and activities like haymaking. It can be helpful to keep a diary of where and when you get hayfever and so avoid

those places in the future. Otherwise, treat"We live pretty weli," said steerer Colin Graham. Their accommodation is also historical, being a 1907 wagon that used to serve the Orua County Council, near Feilding, that is produced as part of the allergy and causes the runny nose, etc. They work by blocking the places where histamine acts in the body. When an anti-histamine is present any histamine produced as part of an allergic reaction cannot cause symptoms because it cannot reach its targets - the nose, skin, etc. Anti-histamines need to get into the body before the histamines, to prevent them from having an effect, so it is best to take them preventively, before being exposed to the allergy-causing substance. Anti-histamines come in short-acting or longlasting forms and sedative and non-sedative types. If having trouble sleeping because of hayfever, a sedativetype anti-histamine might be best. Someone

going to work is more likely to want an antihistamine that doesn't make them sleepy. Decongestants shrink the blood vessels, often very quickly, providihg rapid relief. They are good for first-aid, because they work so quickly, but do not stop the allergic reaction the way anti-histamines do. Pharmacists advise that decongestants should only be used for a few days, certainly no more than five days. Any more than that and sufferers can get 'rebound rhinitis' where the nose runs even more when they stop using the decongestant. A doctor can prescribe other preventi ve medicines such as steroids to stop inflammation. As a spray for the nose they are not readily absorbed into the body and any possible side effects can be avoided. Another preventive medicine is sodium cromoglycate. It is available as drops for the eyes or a nasal spray to prevent itchiness. Both steroids and sodium cromoglycate need to be taken regularly, as preventives.