Pollen allergy: symptoms, tests and effective treatments

This is the period in which some respiratory symptoms can trigger some fear. But runny nose, cough, cold, conjunctivitis, right up to asthma and severe breathing difficulties, along with migraines and eczema, at this time of year can all refer to pollen allergies.

These are symptoms of seasonal allergies that can appear as children but also as adults, and in those who have never had allergies, at any age. Let’s clarify with Dr. Alessandra Piona, head of General Medicine of Humanitas San Pio X , on what to do, who to contact and which tests to do.

What is the most critical period for pollen allergies?

Pollinosis is characteristic of spring and summer, but the micro-pollens of poplar, parietaria, grasses, birch, ragweed, the most common plants responsible for allergies, can also be found in the air out of season, i.e. in periods other than the typical ones of their flowering. For this reason, knowing which pollens you are allergic to, i.e. receiving a specific diagnosis of allergy and an assessment based on your symptoms, helps prevent symptoms and, in many cases, even avoid them.

What symptoms should be tested for?

It doesn’t matter whether only one of the symptoms or all of them are present, nor whether the symptoms are milder or more severe such as asthma . In case of symptoms related to pollinosis, that is, which appear only at certain times of the year and particularly when you come into contact with certain plants and environments, it is important to contact an allergist for a visit and allergy tests, avoiding do-it- yourself treatments – tea and non-prescribed antihistamine drugs.

What are the tests to do?

Not all allergy tests are created equal.

Which ones are needed depends on the allergy visit. The most immediate and non-invasive allergy test is the prick test which, thanks to a small needle that makes a small amount of different allergens penetrate under the skin of the arm, allows to detect sensitivity to one or more specific allergens.

In about 20 minutes, if the result is positive, i.e. the spot around the injection becomes red, hot and itchy, it means that you are sensitive to that allergen.

However, these tests do not always allow us to clearly understand which allergen is responsible for the allergic reaction. Therefore, more in-depth tests such as the rast test or radio-allergo-absorption test can be performed, which allow the search for specific antibodies (IgE) in the blood. Another examination is the patch test, ie the application on the skin of plasters containing allergenic extracts which give the result in 24-48 hours, and is useful for dermatitis.

Are there different tests for children?

No, the same tests are done. However, the therapy changes which, in the case of children, tends to prefer the anti-allergic vaccine (immunotherapy) because it acts both on the symptoms and on the prevention of the so-called allergic march, i.e. the appearance at later ages of other allergies to dust mites, foods or other allergens such as nickel, for example, as a result of an overactive immune system . With immunotherapy the problem can be solved.

And in adults, once the cause of the allergy has been identified, what is recommended?

In the specific case of pollinosis, in which it is very difficult to remove the source of the allergy because it is present in the air, it is necessary to start the pharmacological therapy suitable for the allergen as soon as possible .

Typically, symptom management therapy may include nasal sprays, antihistamine drugs, or, in severe cases, oral cortisone. Even for adults, as well as for children, the allergy vaccine can find an indication, especially when other therapies do not give relief.