29 mars 2023
Spring marks the return of sunny days… and hay fever. Allergic rhinitis often goes hand in hand with flowering. A situation that can last until the end of the summer.
The frequency of allergic rhinitis – better known as “hay fever” – has quadrupled over the past three decades. In France, one in three people is concerned.
Allergy is a hypersensitivity of the body to substances, generally harmless, such as pollen. Pollen grains are released by plants at the time of flowering. Distributed by insects and the wind, they can cause specific allergic manifestations such as sneezing in bursts, runny nose and nasal obstruction. But that’s not all. Conjunctival signs, more or less intense, are frequently associated, in particular in the form of redness of the eye.
What time of year?
These allergic reactions occur at about the same times each year:
- Of march to may, it’s the season for trees and shrubs (birch, cypress, ash, alder, hazel, olive, poplar, etc.). But this season can be earlier and start in January, for example for hazel or alder;
- Then, make way for grasses, herbs that pollinate in meadows, gardens, the highlight of which is between may and july ;
- Of July to Octoberit’s herbaceous season, the most allergenic of which are ragweed and mugwort.
But with climate change, these seasons begin more and more prematurely, and with them, allergic manifestations.
The good gestures
A few simple actions can, during the pollination period, help you prevent the risk of allergies:
- Every evening, rinse your hair in order to eliminate any allergen residues, and not to bring them back on the pillow;
- Open the windows before sunrise and after sunset. It is indeed during the day that the concentration of pollen is the highest;
- Avoid drying your clothes outside;
- Drive the car with the windows closed;
- Taking antihistamines (histamine being the main substance released by the immune system causing allergic reactions) may also be necessary. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.
To note : On the website of the National Aerobiological Surveillance Network (www.pollens.fr), you will find an allergic risk bulletin in your department that is updated regularly.