Pollen allergy is one of the most common allergies. The lowest prevalence of pollen allergy is in early childhood (up to 5 years), then rises sharply and reaches a maximum in adolescence and early adulthood.

Allergy is an inadequate response of the immune system to normal external stimuli. During this exaggerated reaction, a chain cascade of immune reactions is activated in the body, which is accompanied by the release of histamine and other chemicals (mediators) into the bloodstream. The reaction site is infiltrated by the inflammatory cells and allergic inflammation develops.

The clinical manifestations are:

• allergic rhinitis,
• conjunctivitis,
• dry, irritating cough,
• swelling of the nasal mucosa and stuffy nose,
• skin and digestive problems, etc.

In the Czech Republic, we distinguish three specific periods when different types of allergens dominate:

• spring - tree pollen (birch, hazel, alder, poplar, ash, sycamore, conifers),
• summer - pollens of grasses (bojínek, rye, lipnice, fescue, plantain) and cereals,
• autumn - pollen of weeds (wormwood, ragweed, nettle).

Regime measures:

The most important thing is to keep contact with allergens to a minimum.

Regime measures include:

• frequent washing of the face and hair,
• ventilation early in the morning,
• wearing sunglasses,
• placement of pollen nets in windows,
• restrictions on staying outside at the time of the highest occurrence, etc.

It is worth following the pollen calendar (information on flowering time) and current pollen news (weekly monitoring of pollen in the air).

Pharmacological treatment:

The most commonly used group of drugs are the so-called. antihistamines (available in the form of tablets, eye drops, etc.) and most patients take them regularly throughout the pollen season. Some of them are subject to a prescription and others are over-the-counter. Antihistamines are often combined with nasal (topical) corticosteroids for best results. It can also be supplemented with decongestants (they improve the patency of a stuffy nose).

Freely according to the ČLnK web portal for the public Lékárnické drops, 25.5.2022