Perché alcune persone sviluppano improvvisamente la febbre da fieno?

Perché ho sviluppato improvvisamente la febbre da fieno?

It's a common myth that febbre da fieno is something that always develops in childhood. Around 1 in 5 people with this condition develop hay fever symptoms for the first time when they're over 20. So what might cause us to develop hay fever and come possiamo gestire i nostri sintomi?

The chance of developing an allergic reaction is in your genes. Around 1 in 3 adults in the Western world are thought to be potentially susceptible to developing an allergy. However, this is only a susceptibility - many people born with these tendencies will never go on to develop active symptoms.

Dr Runa Ali, consultant physician in Allergy and Asthma in London, says: "Most people only carry antibodies to viruses and bacteria. But 1 in 3 people also carry antibodies to common things such as pollen or peanuts. However, of this number, only one half will go on to develop real-life symptoms."

We know that some people are susceptible to allergie such as hay fever in later life. However, why some of us go on to develop an active allergy is not yet fully understood.

Ali explains that theories about what might shake up your immune system include having a severe infection such as polmonite, being exposed to pollution, or going through hormonal changes.

"However, even if we identified the people who were susceptible, it wouldn't give us any warning about who will end up being allergic and who wouldn't," she adds. "In fact, if you knew you could react to a certain allergen, you might avoid it - this can be counter-productive, as exposing yourself may keep you tolerant."

This is completely different for people with a proven allergy, especially severe ones such as l'anafilassi, where total avoidance of any exposure to the allergen is important.

The important thing is to remember that an allergy - such as hay fever - may develop at any time. If you start experiencing symptoms of hay fever or another allergy, make sure you speak with your pharmacist or doctor for advice.

However, people who don't realise they can develop hay fever as an adult might assume they have un raffreddore - and without the right remedies or approach, may be dealing with the symptoms for several weeks unnecessarily.

This could also make things worse. People whose symptoms are drawn out may also go on to develop secondary symptoms such as tiredness, irritability, mal di testa, and low mood.

D'altra parte, alcune persone a cui è stata diagnosticata la febbre da fieno potrebbero sottovalutare altri sintomi che stanno vivendo, pensando che siano anch'essi legati alla loro allergia. Tuttavia, questo non è necessariamente il caso e qualsiasi sintomo nuovo o insolito dovrebbe essere preso in considerazione con attenzione individuale.

"È importante ricordare che i sintomi tipici della febbre da fieno sono molto lievi," spiega Ali. "Le persone devono anche ricordare che i sintomi della febbre da fieno sono principalmente legati alle vie respiratorie e spesso non ci sono sintomi strani associati."

Non c'è modo di prevenire la febbre da fieno o altre allergie se si è predisposti. Tuttavia, ci sono molti rimedi che allevieranno i tuoi sintomi.

If you think you may be dealing with hay fever, there are both over the counter and prescribed medicines that can soothe your symptoms.

If you find that over the counter measures are not helping, book in with your doctor to check whether you have hay fever, or to see if something else is going on such as sinusitis.

As well as taking any prescribed or recommended medicine, there are other things you can do to reduce your chance of symptoms.

Ali advises that the pollen count is often higher at night, so if you suffer from hay fever you should try to sleep with the windows closed.

"When you drive, it's also helpful to use the air conditioning rather than opening the windows," she says. "Taking holidays by the sea where the grass pollen count is low is a good idea, as is avoiding overly grassy areas when possible.

Finally, wearing glasses or sunglasses can provide some protection for your eyes."

Sebbene non possa controllare se svilupperai la febbre da fieno, sapere che questa condizione può svilupparsi a qualsiasi età, ti rende più propenso a cercare l'aiuto giusto in tempo per la stagione.

Taking medicine and sensible precautions should mean that you can get outside and enjoy the warmer weather.