Exposure to particulate matter before and after birth linked to heightened allergic rhinitis risk

 

BMJ :Exposure to the air pollutant fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) before and after birth is linked to a heightened risk of childhood allergic rhinitis, finds research published online in the journal Thorax.

Hay Fever: Maladies, Melodies And Remedies

TheScope: In addition to kicking off the barbeque, swimming and vacation seasons, spring also marks the beginning of that pesky and sometimes debilitating seasonal woe, hay fever. Much like Noel Coward’s 1924 play Hay Fever, the colloquial designation has really nothing to do with hay or fever. Clinically known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever describes the hypersensitivity to airborne allergens and the onslaught of bothersome symptoms they provoke. Approximately 20% of the world’s population suffers from seasonal or perennial hay fever. Even Paul Simon wasn’t spared from the suffocating spiral that is allergies.

Study shows probiotics may help ease allergies

Vanderbilt: Using probiotics may help alleviate the symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR), also known as seasonal or perennial allergies, according to a Vanderbilt study that reviewed 23 previous trials. The results were published in April in the online version of the journal International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology. “When you look at all the studies combined, there was a statistically significant improvement in both the rhinitis-specific quality of life of those patients and in their nasal specific quality of life,” said lead author Justin Turner, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Otolaryngology. But he cautioned that “the jury is still out” and suggests the topic is ripe for future studies.

Probiotic yoghurts may help hay fever

NHS: "Is YOGURT the secret to easing hay fever? Probiotics can 'relieve sneezing and itchy eyes','' the Daily Mail reports. New research found initial, but not definitive, evidence that probiotics may offer some relief from this common allergic condition for some people. Hay fever affects around one in five people, causing frequent sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes. It happens when an allergic irritant sets off an immune response in the mucosa of the nasal passages, causing an allergic reaction. Most often, people are sensitive to seasonal allergens such as pollen, hence the name hay fever. However, some people can get symptoms all year round (this is known as allergic rhinitis). There has been a lot of interest in whether probiotics – "healthy" bacteria that live in the gut – can relieve symptoms.

VERAMYST Nasal spray

VERAMYST ® (fluticasone furoate) Nasal Spray Initial U.S. Approval: 2007

• INDICATIONS AND USAGE

VERAMYST Nasal Spray is a corticosteroid indicated for treatment of symptoms of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis in adults and children ≥ 2 years.

Hay fever

Many children and adults are affected by hay fever in the spring and summer months, when plants grow and bloom. Hay fever is caused by higher amounts of pollen in the air. A lot of people who have allergies and asthma have more asthma attacks around this time of year too.
Some people have allergy symptoms such as sneezing and a stuffy nose all year round. This might be caused by an allergy against things like animal fur, mold or dust mites.
If someone has an allergic reaction to substances such as pollen or animal fur that affects their upper respiratory tract (upper airways), it is called “allergic rhinitis."