Watch out for allergies. Care must be taken not to mistake the nasal congestion, cough or headache these days with something else. In fact, these symptoms should not be confused with a flu syndrome: it could be allergy.
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Allergy to grasses: symptoms. The allergy to grasses is due to a hypersensitivity of the immune system to pollen grains dispersed in the environment during the flowering period of some plants. In fact, the moment these allergens come into contact with an allergic subject, an abnormal reaction of the immune system is triggered which identifies them as a threat to the body.
What does the organism do? It defends itself and produces antibodies which in turn stimulate an inflammatory reaction that results in symptoms. The allergic subject sneezes, has a cold or allergic rhinitis, feels inflammation of the nasal mucosa which can also manifest itself with an itchy nose. You feel nasal congestion (a cold-like symptom) and in more severe cases you have difficulty breathing. May also have cough and/or asthma.
The eyes are also very sensitive organs for the allergic subject: they become red, water more often, are affected by conjunctivitis and feel discomfort during sun exposure (photophobia). Finally, pay close attention to other symptoms such as headaches, sleep disorders and skin manifestations.
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Inhalations and foods: what to avoid if you are allergic to grasses. Pollen and flowers, but not only. You should know that under the label of grasses you can gather a vast group of herbaceous plants that can grow spontaneously or be cultivated. Also included in this family are cereals such as oats, wheat and corn, barley and rye. Therefore the allergic person feels the symptoms not only when they inhale the pollen grains dispersed in the air but also when they get close to plants or if they eat some foods, in particular: peaches, melons or watermelons which can cause itching of the cord Oral.
How to find out if I am allergic. A skin test (prick test) can be performed. Simply put the skin in contact with the allergen that is suspected to be responsible for the allergic reaction, to check for any skin manifestationsIgE dosage, to measure the blood concentration of this class of antibodies, in order to have feedback on the subject’s sensitivity to exposure to the allergen.
Influenza, bulletin: children under five years old affected. The case of influenza is different, therefore of a virus that attacks the body and which has so far affected almost 14 million Italians. There is a slow decrease in cases but pediatric practices are still very crowded. Because it is children who are most affected. From 1 to 7 April, the incidence was 4.8 cases per thousand assisted (5.2 in the previous week). The estimated cases of flu-like syndrome, compared to the entire Italian population, there are approximately 284,000, for a total of approximately 13,863,000 cases since the start of surveillance. This is underlined by the RespiVirNet epidemiological report from the Infectious Diseases department of the Higher Institute of Health (ISS).
«Children under five years of age are most affected with an incidence level of 11.9 cases per thousand assisted (14.6 in the previous week),” the report continues. «In the 5-14 age group at 5.21, in the 15-64 age group at 4.85 and among individuals aged 65 or over at 2.79 cases per thousand assisted», specifies the ISS.
Allergy remedies. Exposure to allergens can be avoided first and foremost, but in order not to be limited, one must resort to pharmacological therapy and therefore to antihistamines or corticosteroids. An anti-inflammatory may also be prescribed, dosed naturally based on the symptoms and severity of the reaction. There is also the challenging “card” of immunotherapy which consists in gradually getting the body used to exposure to the allergen. In the presence of mild symptoms, however, you can consider taking naturally antihistamic and anti-inflammatory foods (from blackcurrants to green tea).
Allergies, let’s summarize the foods to avoid. Also think of a spring diet as an antidote to allergies. «In the month of March, pollen represents the main cause of allergies in predisposed subjects, but many do not know that diet can be a valid ally in reducing symptoms. For allergic subjects – immunologist Mauro Minelli, responsible for the South of the Foundation for Personalized Medicine (Fmp) explains to Adn Kronos – it is essential reduce the intake of foods that contain histamine, as in the case of mature cheeses or vegetables such as tomatoes and spinach, and foods that release this substance, as occurs with chocolate and strawberries». Finally, «cross-allergic reactions should not be overlooked, which occur exclusively in those subjects who are sensitized to homologous allergens contained both in pollen and in foods. This is the reason why – concludes Minelli – those allergic to grass pollen can manifest allergy symptoms with the intake of foods such as wheat, kiwi, tomato, melon, while those allergic to parietaria must pay attention to foods such as basil, mulberry, cherry and melon».