It starts after a spring walk. The nose is running, the eyes are burning. Can I get a flu? A cold? Or is it the pollination? In Austria, slightly more than 16 percent of the population is likely to suffer from allergic rhinitis, as the hay fever in technical terms is called. The allergy is triggered by protein components of certain pollen, which are released into the air in large quantities during the flowering of grasses, trees or herbs. How does the body react to the pollen? The allergic reaction itself is due to allergens that bind to certain antibodies in the tissues and in the blood. This contact leads to a release of substances that can trigger inflammation. In hay fever, this is usually irritation of the conjunctiva of the eyes and the nasal mucosa. The body reacts here to a few pollen with the formation of certain antibodies, so-called IgE antibodies. At the next allergen contact, they release various inflammatory substances such as histamine. What are the symptoms of hay fever? Above all, if you have never suffered from an allergy, you can not immediately classify the symptoms of hay fever right. Is not it maybe a flu that is approaching? Do watery eyes and a runny nose have to point to pollen allergy immediately? We tell you which symptoms you can detect hay fever: The most common symptom is the blocked or runny nose and inflammation of the nasal mucosa. Reddened, itchy and watery eyes are a typical symptom of hay fever. With hay fever, a cough is usually added as a reaction of the immune system to the allergic irritation of the body. In some cases, hay fever on the skin causes eczema, itching, swelling or wheals on the face. Beware of cross-allergies! Especially annoying: that a hay fever can also lead to cross-allergies to other substances. In this case, proteins that are very similar to the allergy trigger and are found in other plant tissues (such as food) also trigger allergic reactions. Birch pollen allergy sufferers, for example, often do not tolerate stone fruits (apples, apricots, grapes) or nuts. Herbal pollen allergy sufferers are sensitive to celery and herbal spices. What helps with hay fever?

The best prevention would be … avoiding strong pollen regions. Unfortunately, we can not drive in 2,000 meter high or coastal areas every spring or summer, when the pollen season is high. Which helps at least a little: avoiding flowering meadows and fields. If the hay fever is particularly tormenting, then a hyposensitization helps. In this case, the patient is allergy-inducing substance inoculated in high concentration. So the immune system learns not to react with cold, cough, conjunctivitis and rash on the allergy triggers (hyposensitization). First successes show up after one year. 90% of cases are symptom free after three years. The so-called grayscale tablets work on the same principle as the hyposensitization and have a similarly high success rate. The costs are borne by the cashier. The therapy can be started shortly before the pollen season. If the reaction is not that bad, a honey cure is an alternative measure against the symptoms of hay fever. The pollen mix in the honey passes through the digestive system into the body, where he presents himself as a coach of the defense. Because over time creates a habituation effect. Episode: The immune system reacts in the flowering time not so violently on the pollen. However, this form of desensitization must be carried out all year round!