Will a gas mask save you from pollen, is it possible to live your whole life on antihistamines, are there hypoallergenic cats, why give potential allergens to babies – and other surprising questions about allergies.
Spoiler: yes. This is a good demonstration of how barrier agents prevent pollen from penetrating into mucous membranes. A gas mask will protect your eyes, nose, respiratory tract and even hair from pollen. The only caveat is that this will not be the most comfortable way to spend the dusting season, which lasts on average 2 months. And your image in a gas mask will be remembered by many.
Let’s return to traditional modern remedies that will help improve your quality of life as an allergy sufferer. There are medications that relieve symptoms, there are barrier agents (an alternative to a gas mask), and there is also pre-seasonal preparation – allergen-specific immunotherapy, ASIT.
If your eyes are itchy, red, your eyelids are swollen, your nose is stuffy or, conversely, your nose is running, you sneeze, then you can use:
- antiallergic (antihistamine) tablets;
- drops in the eyes and nose with an antihistamine effect. For more severe symptoms, you can take drops with an anti-inflammatory effect (hormonal);
- combined nasal drops (one bottle already contains both an antihistamine and a hormonal agent).
If the respiratory tract is involved – in particular, the bronchi narrow and coughing, wheezing, whistling, “heavy” breathing, shortness of breath occur, then drugs that dilate the bronchi are prescribed (usually in a can or in the form of a nebulizer solution).
The simplest means to reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergies, as we found out earlier, are barrier agents. For example, special filters that are inserted into the nostrils, masks (medical masks with and without filters) or nasal sprays that contain cellulose or ectoine. These substances create obstacles for pollen attachment.
If you want to prepare in advance for the dusting season and you don’t like wearing a gas mask, then your option is ASIT.
The essence of the method is desensitization, that is, reducing the body’s reaction to meeting pollen. The “culprit allergen” is administered in a certain dosage under the tongue (drops, tablets) or subcutaneously (injections). And the immune system is trained not to react to pollen during the flowering season.
Before starting any therapy, you should consult your doctor. Since any means or methods may have relative and absolute contraindications.
2. Is it possible to live your whole life on antihistamines if you are allergic to a cat or dog, but don’t want to part with your pet?
This is a difficult question because we cannot predict exactly how your immune system will react to an animal. No one will answer this question with 100% certainty whether you will be “normal” or “not normal”.
There are several scenarios for the development of events.
- The first is the most favorable if you are among the lucky 20% of people whose allergies can go away on their own. In this case, one morning you will wake up hugging a cat and you will not have allergy symptoms.
- The second scenario is inspiring. Perhaps permanently living with a pet under the same roof will contribute to the formation of tolerance (immunity), and you will not react to your animal. It’s like ASIT in real conditions. But there is a risk that if you leave the apartment where the animal lives, then upon your return you will be greeted with a surprise in the form of a long-forgotten allergy.
- The third scenario is depressing. Perhaps after some time the allergy will progress, eye symptoms may appear, or your nose will become stuffy so that taking one tablet of antihistamines will no longer be enough for you. Topical therapy, sprays or drops may be necessary.
The most dangerous manifestation of an allergy is when the respiratory tract is involved. If you already have symptoms of allergic rhinitis (sneezing, runny or stuffy nose), your risk of asthma increases by 3 times.
In Europe, there are drugs for ASIT with a cat or dog allergen, which allow you to avoid the dilemma of giving up a pet or suffering from allergies and taking medications. Unfortunately, these drugs are not registered in the Russian Federation.
If it is impossible to part with the animal, I recommend adhering to the following rules:
- do not allow the animal into the bedroom (so that the cat or dog does not sleep on your bed);
- bathe the animal at least twice a week using special lotions;
- use air purifiers and vacuum cleaners with special HEPA filters;
- remove carpets and regularly wet clean floors and surfaces;
- Be sure to change clothes after visiting guests where there is an animal.
3. Are there any hypoallergenic cats that people with allergies can get?
The myth about hypoallergenic cats (and animals in general) has existed for a very long time. An allergy to cats is not related to the presence of fur and does not depend on the breed, age of the pet, gender or habitat (indoor or outdoor).
Now there will be “shock content”: the most allergenic cat is the Sphynx.
The main cat allergen is called uteroglobin Fel d 1, it is produced in various glands (salivary, sebaceous, lacrimal, anal) and spreads through the fur during licking, as well as through sweat and urine. Some studies have found that the concentration of Fel d 1 is higher in males compared to male cats, but decreases in cats after castration.
4. Can allergies go away with age?
Yes maybe. If we are talking about food allergies, then, according to statistics, half of children have an allergy to milk by the age of 7-8 years, 50% also have no reaction to eggs by 2-9 years, and the same percentage of children develop tolerance to wheat by 7 years old.
Also, food allergies can begin in childhood and remain for life; more often it is an allergy to nuts, fish/seafood, and sesame. Allergies to seafood, nuts, soy and peanuts can begin in adulthood. There is a possibility that every fifth person with an allergy may spontaneously develop tolerance to an allergenic product.
The later a child encounters a potential allergen, the higher the likelihood of developing an allergy to this product, so it is recommended to introduce complementary foods and allergens, starting in small doses from the age of 4–6 months.
This period is called the “window of opportunity.” And what’s important: it’s not just giving the allergen once, for example, peanuts in the form of a paste, but then regularly adding it to dishes.
If you develop allergy symptoms after consuming any product immediately or within 2 hours, you should avoid that product. Meeting him again could be fatal.
It is necessary to consult a doctor to identify the culprit allergen and prescribe a step-by-step algorithm for action in case of a possible recurrence of the episode.
There are studies on oral immunotherapy with food allergens (peanuts, hazelnuts), which have shown its high effectiveness and led to the development of tolerance in both adults and children.
Oral immunotherapy is the daily administration of an allergen in a certain dosage, followed by assessment of the response. This procedure is performed exclusively in a hospital setting. Unfortunately, to date there is no reliable evidence for the routine use of these protocols.