How do pollen allergies develop

ANSWER: You can develop allergies later in life, and there is definitely value in getting tested to see if your symptoms are due to allergies. Allergy tests usually involve a skin test , a blood test or both. Allergy development typically has two phases. During the first phase, called sensitization, you come in contact with a harmless substance, and your body mistakenly starts making allergic antibodies, called IgE antibodies, to fight that substance.

At that time, the second phase starts. The allergen binds to the IgE antibodies. That sets off a cascade of immune reactions in your body, such as itchy or watery eyes, nasal congestion and sneezing, among others. Common triggers for seasonal allergies include tree and grass pollen, which are prevalent in the spring and summer; ragweed pollen or other weed pollen, which are common in the fall; and spores from molds and fungi, which tend to be widespread in warm-weather months.

They come in the form of tree pollen, food, mold, dust mites, snake or insect venom, and animals, such as cats, dogs, and cockroaches. When the body mistakes one of these substances as a threat and reacts with an immune response, we develop an allergy. Nobody is born with allergies. Instead, the 50 million people in the United States who suffer from allergies developed these only once their immune systems came into contact with the culprit.

But how do our bodies mistake a friend for a foe? And what causes the symptoms that many are so familiar with? Allergy is defined as an inappropriate immune response to an otherwise harmless substance in the environment. Lisa A. Reynolds and B. Brett Finlay — both from the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada — explain in an article published in the journal Nature Reviews Immunology how the immune system reacts to foreign substances.

Our immune cells are always on the lookout for dangers, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxic substances. When these molecules enter the body — through the lungs, mouth, intestine, or skin — the immune system can react by labeling them as either harmless or dangerous. This is called a Type 1 immune response, and the cell type at the heart of this process is the regulatory T cell. Decongestant tablets and sprays can cause side effects, so use with caution or ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

If you have asthma caused by pollens, your doctor will prescribe the correct medication and help you to develop a plan to manage your asthma. Make sure you follow your asthma action plan. Asthma can be well controlled with the appropriate medication in almost all people. The main types of medication are:. If you have an asthma attack , follow your asthma action plan. In case of emergency, call triple zero and ask for an ambulance.

Tell the operator that someone is having an asthma attack. It involves a series of injections, tablets, sprays or drops given under the tongue of very small doses of the allergen over a long time. This can help to improve tolerance of the pollens that are triggering your allergy and reduce symptoms. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:.

For unexpected after-hours medical issues, there are telephone helplines, pharmacies, after-hours medical clinics or doctors who can visit you at home.

Severe allergic reactions anaphylaxis and asthma attacks need urgent emergency first aid. In an emergency, always call triple zero Allergy occurs when the body overreacts to a 'trigger' that is harmless to most people.

Allergies to insect stings and bites range from milder allergic reactions to life-threatening, severe allergic reactions anaphylaxis. All medication has the potential to cause allergies but some people can have allergic reactions to specific prescription or over-the-counter medications.

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Home Allergies. Pollen allergies. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. What is pollen? Symptoms of pollen allergies Causes of pollen allergies Diagnosis of pollen allergies Treatment for pollen allergies Where to get help. Keeping a record of your symptoms Keep a diary that describes your symptoms and when and where they occur. Your diary could include information about whether your symptoms occur: inside your home, outside or both for a short time or longer at night, during the day or when you wake up at a particular time of the year near animals after you have been stung or bitten by an insect after you have had a particular food or drink after you have taken a particular medication, either prescription or over the counter from a pharmacy or supermarket after you have taken a herbal medicine.

Asthma from pollen allergies Pollen can be breathed into the lungs and directly cause asthma in some people. Symptoms of asthma include: chest tightness or pain shortness of breath difficulty breathing wheezing — whistling noise when breathing coughing. Hay fever symptoms from pollen allergies Hay fever is also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, because the symptoms appear only when it is pollen season.

Allergies to pollen commonly cause symptoms of hay fever including: runny, itchy, congested nose sneezing irritable, itchy, watery and red eyes itchy ears, throat and palate. Causes of pollen allergies For all allergies, the immune system reacts to specific allergy trigger molecules allergens.

Pollen allergies are seasonal The season for pollen allergies can last for several months and occurs when the plants are flowering.

For instance: Non-native trees tend to pollinate in late winter and spring. In Victoria, winds from the north tend to bring pollen from non-native grasses growing inland between October and December. White Cypress Murray pine is the only Australian tree that produces highly allergenic pollen and it flowers approximately between late July and the end of August.

Species of Casuarina or Australian oak trees produce pollen throughout the year and can cause hay fever symptoms at any time.