Do you have a runny, itchy nose? Are your eyes constantly watering? Spring is upon us now, and so is allergy season. Here are some of the main causes of allergies and some remedies to help you ease the itching.
An allergy is an abnormally high sensitivity reaction to an ordinarily harmless substance. The immune system of an allergic person reacts when an allergen is absorbed into their body, treating the substance as a harmful invader, causing the white blood cells to begin producing antibodies. When this occurs, it causes the body to release histamines. These are what can cause allergy symptoms such as watery eyes, itching, sneezing or a runny nose.
The most common allergens include pollens, molds, insect stings, household dust mites, animal dander, foods, medications and insect droppings. Some people may only become affected by one allergen while others are affected by many.
The most common of all allergies is hay fever. It is caused by an allergy to the pollen of trees, grasses, weeds or mold spores. The more pollen in the air, the more severe allergies. Usually, the amount of pollen in the air is reported daily on the local weather forecast. It is usually measured as low, medium or high, where low would only affect those who are very sensitive to pollen and high would affect most people who are allergic.