Although in myths ambrosia is called the food of the gods, which gives them eternal youth, but this, unfortunately, does not apply to people. 70 million inhabitants of our planet are already allergic to ragweed. The symptoms of this immune reaction of the body are non-specific, but very obvious and painful for patients.
Ambrosia is a thunderstorm for allergy sufferers
Agbrosia is a weed plant brought to Europe from North America. It has taken root so well in our temperate climate that it has begun to actively spread in fields, pastures, near roads in large and small cities. This weed, inconspicuous at first glance, causes a lot of trouble for the agricultural industry. It dries up the soil, interferes with the development of other plants, cows eat it, which makes the taste and smell of milk change for the worse. Legislation welcomes the fight against ragweed by any means. But this weed does even more harm to humans, because its pollen causes severe allergies in both children and adults.
Why ambrosia causes allergies
Agbrosia pollen is considered one of the most aggressiveallergens. After all, just a couple of its grains are enough to cause allergies, hay fever or even bronchial asthma. The most unpleasant thing is that this weed has a very long flowering period - from July until the onset of cold weather. All this period, allergy sufferers have to look for ways to escape from ragweed by any means, although it is very difficult to hide from it. Each flower of the plant can release up to a billion grains of pollen, which are dispersed by the wind for a distance of about 500 km.
Like any other hay fever, a reaction to ragweed occurs after contact with pollen, which contains a special substance - ambrosic acid. It is it that is the main irritant for the human immune system. Children are especially allergic to ragweed. Therefore, if possible, it is better to avoid being near this plant, and even more so contact with it. You can also get the disease if you consume the milk of animals that have consumed the "food of the gods". Another unpleasant fact is that an allergy to ragweed is accompanied by a cross-reaction to the pollen of wormwood, coltsfoot, sunflower, string, and other plants.
The mechanism of development of an allergic reaction to ragweed
Allergy to ragweed refers to the classic hay fever and belongs to the first type of reactions. That is, it occurs immediately or several hours after contact with pollen. At the same time, allergens provoke the formation of IgG and IgE reagin antibodies, which, when combined with mast cells and basophilicleukocytes, cause the release of inflammatory mediators into the bloodstream: histamine, serotonin, heparin, prostaglandins and other substances, which cause the manifestation of all clinical signs of allergy.
Diagnosis of the disease includes an assessment of the clinical picture, clarification of the cyclical manifestation of symptoms and laboratory tests. Modern methods make it possible to easily determine allergies in both the latent and acute phases, regardless of the intake of antihistamines. Main research methods:
- Skin tests.
- Tests on mucous membranes.
- ELISA (enzymatic immunoassay).
- RAST (radioallergosorbent test).
All tests are carried out in special medical laboratories, and the interpretation of the tests and the diagnosis must be entrusted to an allergist.
How an allergy to ragweed manifests
In the middle of summer, people with a cold look often meet. They constantly sneeze, their eyes are red and watery, and their nose pours like water - this is nothing more than an allergy to ragweed, the symptoms of which are so similar to a cold. The seasonality of the disease is associated with the flowering of the plant - from the beginning of the second month of summer until the onset of autumn cold weather.
Main signs of allergy:
- sneeze;
- swelling and nasal congestion;
- mucous transparent nasal discharge;
- itching and swelling in the nasopharynx and soft palate;
- sore throat;
- breathing difficulties;
- conjunctivitis (itching, redness, swelling, watery eyes, photophobia);
- atopic dermatitis on open areas of the body (itching, hyperemia and rashes on the skin);
- bronchospasm, bronchial asthma;
- general intoxication: fatigue; irritability; depression; insomnia; a slight increase in temperature; headache.
Rarely laryngitis and sinusitis can join these symptoms. Non-specific manifestations of allergies include:
- meningitis;
- encephalitis;
- hepatitis;
- gastritis;
- Violation of the optic and auditory nerve.
When a person first becomes allergic to ragweed, the symptoms speak for themselves. Although some patients take it for the usual SARS.
If the child is allergic to ragweed
It is quite common to have an allergy to ragweed in children. In 50% of cases, the disease manifests itself before the age of 15 years. Before the age of 6, the disease is rarely detected. It usually develops in frequently ill babies with reduced immunity and a tendency to develop allergic reactions, who live in environmentally unfavorable places. It was found that children in contact with large animals (cats, dogs, etc.) were more likely to have hay fever. Excessive hygiene and sterility in raising a child also causes a tendency to allergies.
If a child develops an allergy to ragweed, the symptoms of the disease will be the same asadult. However, children have not yet fully developed the immune system, so the clinical manifestations are much more pronounced, in addition, there is a high risk of developing bronchial asthma or asthma attacks.
How to treat ragweed allergy with medication
Many patients start to sneeze just from the words: "summer", "ragweed", "allergy". How to treat pollinosis, so that there really is a result, only a specialist can tell. Therapy is prescribed exclusively by an allergist, depending on the stage of the disease, the age of the patient and the individual characteristics of his body. The main areas of therapy are:
- Taking antihistamines, which eliminate the action of inflammatory mediators and thereby relieve itching, swelling, redness. Having a sedative effect, these drugs normalize the nervous system of the patient. Antihistamines include: Diphenhydramine, Diazolin, Fenistil, Loratadine, Desloratadine, Levociterazine, etc.
- Taking hormonal drugs. This treatment is used if the allergy has already developed into bronchial asthma or when antihistamines do not help. Taking steroid nasal sprays and drops can help relieve swelling, spasm, inflammation, redness, and other allergy symptoms. These medicines include: "Baconase", "Rinocort", "Nasonex" and others.
- Alternative methods: acupuncture, immunotherapy, homeopathy.
You can take both ragweed allergy pills and eye and nose drops.
The most effective treatment is to move to an area where ragweed does not grow.
How not to aggravate the condition?
To prevent the development of an allergic reaction to ragweed, you should try to follow preventive measures:
- Don't go outside in the midst of flowering.
- When airing, curtain windows with a damp cloth.
- Place mosquito nets on windows for extra protection.
- Use air conditioning at home and in the car.
- Wet clean your home twice a day.
- Change and wash immediately after coming home from the street.
- Wash outdoor clothing daily and dry indoors only.
- Garse throat and nose with saline every day.
- Bathing pets with outdoor access.
- Free the apartment from carpets, bedspreads, pillows, etc.
- Avoid stress.
- Visit an allergist.
- Follow doctor's orders.
- Exclude herbal treatment: chamomile, plantain, dandelion, wormwood, string, yarrow, etc.
Don't eat foods containing cross-allergens:
- nuts;
- honey;
- citrus;
- sunflower products;
- cumin, ginger and other spices;
- dill, celery and other greens;
- chicory;
- mustard;
- mayonnaise;
- watermelon, melon;
- drinks with wormwood;
- chocolate andex.
It is also very important to follow a diet that excludes spicy, smoked, fried and fatty foods.
Folk remedies to combat allergies
Sometimes, when an allergy to ragweed wins in an unequal fight against a disease with traditional methods, folk remedies remain the only option. Although often the advice of doctors and "grandmother's recipes" contradict each other. For example: “Take celery root juice half an hour before meals” or “Bases and infusions of chamomile are an excellent remedy for allergies.” People also treat allergies with infusions of tricolor violet, red viburnum, black currant, etc. So, by and large, these methods are unlikely to be able to bring relief to the patient, and even more so to cope with allergies.
Very often, pregnant women try to be treated with traditional medicine, since an allergy to ragweed during pregnancy is practically not amenable to drug treatment, since most drugs are prohibited during this period of a woman's life. However, self-medication can be even more harmful.
It is very important to recognize the symptoms of the disease in time and consult a specialist to receive adequate therapy. It is impossible to completely cope with allergies, but preventing its manifestations and reducing the intensity of symptoms is quite a doable task.
