Why do I have hay fever? I didn’t have this as a child

Hay fever (or allergic rhinitis) is a long-term inflammation that is incredibly common. Affects approx one quarter Australians.

The symptoms vary, but may contain sneezing, itchy eyes and a runny or stuffy nose. Hay fever can even contribute to sinus and ear infections, snoring, poor sleep and asthma, as well as poorer performance at college or work.

However, many individuals didn’t have hay fever as children and didn’t develop symptoms until they were teenagers or adults.

Here’s how a combination of genetics, hormones and environment can result in the event of hay fever later in life.

Remind me what hay fever is?

Hay fever is brought on by contact of the nose, eyes and throat with a substance to which a person is allergic, known as an allergen.

Typical sources of outside allergens are airborne grasses, weed or tree pollen, and mold spores. Pollen allergens will be transmitted indoors on clothes and thru open windows and doors.

Depending on where you reside, you might be exposed to various kinds of pollen during pollen season, but grass pollen is probably the most common explanation for hay fever. IN some regions The grass pollen season may last from spring to summer and autumn.

How does hay fever start?

Hay fever symptoms most frequently appear during adolescence or early maturity. One study found that 7% of kids aged six had hay fever, but this increased to 44% of adults by the age of 24.

Before anyone develops symptoms of hay fever, their immune system is already “sensitized” to certain allergens, often grass pollen allergens. Exposure to those allergens signifies that their immune system has produced a specific form of antibody against them (known as IgE).

During repeated or prolonged exposure to an allergen source such as pollen, a person’s immune system may begin to answer a different a part of the identical allergen or to a different allergen contained within the pollen. Over time, these recent allergic sensitivities can develop hay fever and possibly other conditions such as allergic asthma.

Why do some people develop hay fever only in maturity?

1. Environmental aspects

Some people develop hay fever in maturity just because they have had more time to develop into sensitive to certain allergens.

Migrating or moving to a recent location can even change your risk of developing hay fever. This could also be because of exposure to varied aspects pollen, climate and weathergreen space and/or air quality aspects.

A series of studies show individuals who have emigrated from low- and middle-income countries to higher-income countries could also be at greater risk of developing hay fever. This could also be because of local environmental conditions affecting the expression of genes that regulate the immune system.

2. Hormonal aspects

Hormonal changes during puberty it could possibly also help cause hay fever. This may involve sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, affecting histamine levels, immune regulation and response of cells of the nasal mucosa and lower respiratory tract.

3. Genetic aspects

Our genes underpin our risk hay fever and whether this and other related allergic conditions persist.

For example, children with eczema (called atopic dermatitis) experience: 3 times the danger developing hay fever (and asthma) later in life.

Food allergy in childhood can be a risk factor for developing hay fever later in life. If you have a peanut allergy, the danger is larger 2.5 times greater.

What are the perfect treatment options?

Depending on where you reside, it could possibly be difficult to avoid exposure to allergens. But pollen count forecastsif available, they might be useful. These will show you how to determine whether it is best to remain home to limit your exposure to pollen or take preventive medications.

You can even find storm asthma warningswhere pollen combined with specific weather conditions cause respiration difficulties.

If you have mild, occasional hay fever symptoms, you’ll be able to take non-drowsy antihistamines, which you’ll buy from a pharmacy.

However, for more severe or persistent symptoms, probably the most effective treatment is intranasal steroid sprays or intranasal steroid sprays with an antihistamine. However, it will be important to make use of them repeatedly and accurately.

Allergen immunotherapy, also called desensitization, is a treatment method effective treatment for individuals with severe hay fever symptoms, which may reduce the necessity to take medication and avoid allergens.

However, it involves a longer course of treatment (about three years), often under the supervision of an allergist or immunologist.

When should people go to the doctor?

It is significant to treat hay fever since the symptoms can significantly affect: quality of human life. Your GP can:

• recommend hay fever treatment methods and show you how to use them accurately

• arrange blood tests to verify whether you might be allergic to the allergen (if any) and whether it is expounded to your symptoms

• screening for asthma, which frequently accompanies hay fever and should require other treatments

• if vital, arrange for referral to an allergy or immunologist specialist for other tests, such as allergen skin tests, or consideration allergen immunotherapy if symptoms are severe.