The doctor talked about ways to deal with spring allergies.

Spring is a serious challenge for people suffering from seasonal allergies. Vera Seryozhina, an expert at the LabQuest medical company, told Izvestia on March 13 how to properly prepare for the flowering season, as well as not to let the symptoms spoil the first warm days.

"Pollinosis occurs in 10-30% of all allergy sufferers and is manifested by tearing, sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy eyes and sometimes even asthma attacks. The main provocateurs of exacerbations are plant pollen and cross—allergens - nuts, spices, honey, herbs and stone fruits like apples. In our country, birch pollen is considered the leader among allergens, with its peak flowering in May. Last year's foliage is also often the cause of exacerbations," she noted.

Seryozhina recommended avoiding contact with allergens whenever possible. Of course, the most reliable way is to temporarily change the climate zone, going to a place where flowering has not yet begun or has already ended. In the absence of such an opportunity, you should not go outside in the morning and afternoon, when the concentration of pollen in the air is highest — usually from 04:00-05:00 to 12:00. In the evening, the allergen content in the air is significantly reduced, which makes walking safer, the expert recalled.

"If going outside is unavoidable, use sunglasses and a medical mask to protect the mucous membranes from contact with pollen. It is better to choose clothes that are easy to wash, and they should be changed after each walk. When you come home, immediately take a shower and rinse your nose with saline solutions — this will help remove pollen particles and prevent the development of an allergic reaction," Seryozhina added.

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At home, she recommended keeping the windows closed, covering them with damp gauze, and doing regular wet cleaning to minimize the ingress of allergens. She added that it is worth choosing vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters that trap the smallest particles of dust and pollen. If there are pets in the house, they must be washed after walks, as they carry allergens on their fur. Also, do not dry your clothes on the balcony: pathogens can settle on it.

In addition, Seryozhina said that in order to accurately diagnose hypersensitivity, it is worthwhile to take an allergy chip test, which allows you to identify up to 300 potential allergens in one study. An effective method of prevention is allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT), in which minimal doses of the pathogen are injected into the body, so that the immune system gets used to it and stops reacting so violently.

"If pollinosis is accompanied by bronchial asthma, it is important to consult a pulmonologist in advance and prepare an action plan for the flowering season. The doctor can adjust the dosage of medications or, if necessary, recommend inhaled medications to facilitate breathing," she concluded.

On March 11, Victoria Galyas, an allergist and immunologist, a children's specialist at the Semeynaya clinic network, told Izvestia about plants that cause allergies in spring. She named birch, hazel and alder as the main culprits of spring hay fever.