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The nose runs, eyes run, the throat stinks and people sneeze. As the hay fever season begins, affecting between 10% and 30% of people, we sift through the evidence to determine the true reality of this irritating condition.
Hay fever has nothing to do with hay
In the early 19th century, it was assumed that freshly cut hay was at the root of the problem, hence the name hay fever. Then a British doctor named James Bostock, who was suffering from these strange symptoms every summer, correctly identified hay exposure. He found relief from his hay fever by going to the seaside, but mistakenly concluded that his symptoms were caused by some sort of recurring illness aggravated by hot summers. He nicknamed it "catarrh of summer".
The connection with pollen was established in 1859 by a British scientist, Charles Blackley, who would have sneezed while sniffing a bunch of bluegrass. He not only determined that pollen was to blame, but also that the lighter pollen produced by grasses and trees, which passed more easily in the air, was more likely to induce symptoms. Once again, he only partially understood it. The role of the immune system in allergic reactions was not yet understood, suggesting that the unpleasant symptoms were caused by toxins in the pollen.
Today, we know that when some individuals encounter pollen of certain types, their immune system overreacts by treating it as if it 's been a virus. This then triggers the body's reaction by all the well-known symptoms of hay fever.
VERDICT: True
Hay fever is something you develop on
As a general rule, we can assume that hay fever starts when you are a child and fades gradually as you grow. The good news is that half of the people discover that their symptoms are getting better with age and that 20% of the lucky patients disappear completely. A Swedish study revealed that it was more likely that it would disappear at age 50. But for the rest, the symptoms persist each year at the beginning of the pollen season.
It can also happen in the other way. There are people who have never suffered from hay fever when they were children or teenagers and who discover that they are experiencing symptoms for the first time in their thirties or forties. Unfortunately, cases of hay fever seem to be increasing in many places.
VERDICT: True, but only if you are lucky
Hay fever is not so bad after the rain because the water eliminates pollen
Some people with hay fever pray for rain in the hope that wet conditions will prevent pollen from spreading in the air, in the eyes and nose. Light to moderate rainfall can help, but heavy rains can have the opposite effect. When health insurance data were analyzed in South Korea and compared to the weather conditions of each day, outpatient visits for allergic rhinitis increased after heavy rain or typhoons.
The crucial point seems to be 10 cm (4 in) of precipitation. When US researchers analyzed 14 years of meteorological data and pollen counts, they found that pollen levels fell after less than 10 cm of rain, but increased if they exceeded 10 cm. Heavy rains appear to attract more pollen into the air, especially if there is wind and rain.
VERDICT: It depends on the amount of rain
Hay fever is worse during the day
If you suffer from hay fever, it is generally advisable to stay indoors during the day, when pollen levels are higher, waiting for the evening to go out. Staying indoors can help, but unfortunately, it is not so simple. It all depends on the type of pollen that affects you.
In a study entitled "Pollen nightmare: high levels of pollen in the air at night", traps were installed on a roof in Poland and concentrations of five types of pollen were measured day and night.
The concentrations of mugwort pollen were actually lower at night than during the day, but they were higher, while grass and alder pollen levels varied little over a 24-hour period.
As temperatures increase during the day, pollen air increases, but pollen returns at night, increasing ground level concentrations. Thus, at dawn, some people will find that hay fever is further aggravated. Levels at different times depend on the ease with which pollen is suspended in the air, the distance at which it tends to travel and the time of day when a particular grass species releases its pollen. . Steel is not worn very far and levels stay low at night, while ragweed goes further.
The answer to this question therefore depends on where you live, common herbs nearby and herbs you are allergic to.
Verdict: not necessarily
Antihistamines for hay fever make you sleepy
Antihistamines can alleviate some symptoms of hay fever by blocking the action of the chemical histamine released by the body when it thinks it is being attacked by pollen proteins. The problem is that with older types of first-generation antihistamines, drowsiness was a common side effect. At night, it did not necessarily bother them since their eyes pined and sneezed their sleep, so a little help to doze them suited them well, but during the day, it is not good to sleep.
But in the 1980s and 90s, several newer, second generation, antihistamines were introduced. These can not cross the blood-brain barrier so easily, resulting in less or sometimes no symptoms of drowsiness.
VERDICT: Yes, but sometimes only
Honey can reduce the symptoms of hay fever
Some have long recommended a spoonful of honey, but does it really work? Very little research has been done to find out. In a small study in the United States, one of three substances was administered: pasteurized honey, unpasteurized honey, or artificially flavored corn syrup with a honey taste. People did not know who they had been given and were asked to take a tablespoon a day in addition to the usual treatment they used to relieve their hay fever. No type of honey has made a difference in the severity of their symptoms.
A small study in Finland showed that ordinary honey made only a marginal difference, but that honey supplemented with birch pollen seemed to help. However, the authors pointed out that it was only a pilot study and that it should not be made a recommendation.
VERDICT: It tastes good, but there is currently no evidence of its effectiveness.
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