Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

Seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, is a hereditary disease that affects us normally during the spring and summer months. For sufferers of seasonal allergies it is the pollen that makes our symptoms flare up and for the misery to begin. Allergic rhinitis affects 1 in 5 people in the United States alone with an overwhelming 25 million people; you are not alone in this battle.

The below symptoms may start or worsen through different parts of the season. The below symptoms can be triggered by various foods and/or pollens in the air. It is when the following triggers come in contact with the tissue in our nose that we feel the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis. It is our body’s way to flush out the invaders in our bodies. Below is a list of pollen producing plants. It is important to understand which trigger your symptoms throughout the year so you can eliminate them from happening again.

Seasonal allergic rhinitis causes flu-like symptoms which include:

• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Sneezing
• Sinus pressure
• Watery eyes
• Itchy nose and eyes
• Cough
• Itchy throat

Even if you have symptoms all year long you could still have triggers throughout different parts of the season. Indoor allergens include:

• Dust mites
• Dust mites are commonly found in many households. Their feces are what cause an allergic reaction. They are found in our beds and in carpets and feed on human skin.
• Mold and Mildew
• Molds can grow just about anywhere if the humidity and surface is right; they normally grow in cool, moist and shady areas. They can grow on foods, wood, window sills, paper and on many other surfaces.
• Pet dander and Cockroaches
• Cockroaches and pet dander can trigger an allergic reaction when they get trapped in the mucus lining of the nose. This triggers the initial irritation in the mucus membranes leading to hay fever symptoms.

Why Do I Have Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis?

Seasonal allergic rhinitis is considered to be an atopic disease, which means it is hereditary. You should have other members in your family that suffer from seasonal allergies and are allergic to certain substances. If you suffer from hay fever, it generally means that you have an allergy to pollen.

The types of allergens in the air change over the course of the seasons;

• Trees pollinate in the spring.
• Grass pollinate in the spring and on through the summer.
• Weeds pollinate from the summer and onto the first freeze.
• Mold creates spores all year long.

Doctors are now finding that many people, who have hay fever, also suffer from a range of food allergies. The number of people with hay fever is on the increase and may be indirectly related to the type of food we eat. Fast and processed foods that are becoming a much larger percentage of the average diet can be a major player in allergy symptoms.

Foods and My Allergies

Food allergies are a completely different type of allergy and that is not what we are looking at here. Instead we are looking at an oral allergy syndrome. According to Dr. Clifford W. Basset, Medical Director of Allergy and Asthma Care New York and Vice Chairman of Public Education at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, states “one third of those with seasonal allergic rhinitis suffer from this syndrome as well”.

Our body reacts to the inhalation of pollens such as those from grass, trees and weeds by producing the histamines that cause our allergy symptoms. There are several fruits and vegetables that also contain profilins, which are the proteins in pollen that can trigger our allergies.

You can expect to get the same symptoms from those foods that carry the profilins as you would for your seasonal allergic rhinitis. You may also experience a swelling or tingling of your lips, mouth and throat and in the most severe cases it is possible for a person to go into anaphylactic shock.

Foods that Trigger Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

While you may indeed have seasonal allergic rhinitis, these reactions to the foods you eat last all year long. Once your body has developed an allergy to particular pollen; the corresponding allergy to the food does not go away. You are still going to exhibit an allergy to the protein, no matter what time of year it happens to be.

Some Examples of Pollen/Protein Similarities:

• Ragweed Pollen
• Grass Pollen
• Birch Pollen
• Cantaloupe
• Bananas
• Sunflower Seeds
• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Peaches
• Celery
• Melons
• Tomatoes
• Oranges
• Large number of vegetables, many fruits including
• Apples
• Peaches
• Pears
• Cherries
• And other fruits with pits
• Nuts such as walnuts
• Potatoes and
• Celery

Just because you have seasonal allergic rhinitis and some of these foods cause similar reactions, does not mean you have to stop eating them completely. Research has shown that cooking them changes the protein structure within the food, thereby rendering them harmless. For example raw apples might be a problem, but apple pie would not be an issue.

You should always talk to your doctor or allergist about any changes in your allergy symptoms, especially if you begin having reactions to certain foods. It is possible for an oral allergy syndrome to develop into a full bore food allergy should it not be carefully monitored.

Other Trigger Factors

Foods are not the only thing that can cause a trigger of your seasonal allergic rhinitis. Other trigger factors include smoke, pollutions, and strong smells. It is imperative to understand what triggers our symptoms beyond the normal outdoor pollens. This will help you in your venture to eliminate these facets from your life, or at the very least steer clear of them.

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