The galley of the allergic will not attenuate in the days to come. Some 90 departments of mainland France, including Île-de-France, have been placed on red alert for grass pollen.
Itchy throat, itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, persistent cough, difficulty breathing…Red alert! The pollens are out in 90 departments to the great misfortune of those who react to them. The number of people affected by respiratory allergies has tripled in the space of 30 years. And as an allergy can be triggered at any age, one in two people should be affected by 2050, according to the WHO.
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The origin of the current nightmare is the grasses, these herbaceous plants that we see growing along the roads or in the fields and which produce pollen, feared by 30% of the French adult population. These grasses can be carried by the wind for hundreds of kilometers and are small enough to enter the respiratory tract causing very painful allergic reactions.
How to react to allergy? Here are some leads.
Preventive actions
Avoid going out during pollen peaks and if you go out, wear sunglasses and a surgical mask. In the car, keep the windows closed. No cycling and above all, do not rub your eyes.
When you get home, leave your shoes outside the door, take a shower, wash your hair and change your clothes. The idea is to get rid of pollen as much as possible and avoid contaminating its interior. Wash your eyes and nose with saline solution.
Close the windows during the day and ventilate in the morning or at sunset for at least 10 minutes. Do not dry clothes outside.
Refrain from burning candles or incense, or using home fragrances. Also avoid exposure to cleaning products, cigarettes and any activity that can add irritating factors such as tinkering or mowing the lawn.
The use of over-the-counter medications
The first thing to do is to treat the allergy(ies) and not let the symptoms get worse. A number of drugs exist. There are over-the-counter antihistamines in pharmacies that are very effective in people with low allergies because they block the inflammatory reaction. You can add local ocular or nasal treatments.
Natural remedies
The Pasteur Institute of Lille recommends, for example, tarragon, for its anti-allergenic properties, but also thyme, a natural expectorant which helps decongest the respiratory tract. True lavender essential oil is also very effective in reducing sneezing attacks and relieving the respiratory tract. And against the “fountain nose”, the Institute also recommends the infusion of nettle.
Among the recipes of “grandmothers”, this TikTokeuse also recommends the “red onion juice shot” (to infuse in water). Onions are a source of vitamin C and especially quercetin, an antioxidant that acts as a natural antihistamine.
The consultation, essential in case of severe symptoms
More severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, a nocturnal cough that does not pass, wheezing require them to consult quickly. And to consider, come winter, desensitization with an allergist. The latter will gradually expose you to small doses of the identified allergen, usually via drops or tablets to be swallowed daily. This training of the immune system must be done “away from the pollen season” and takes time, between three and five years. Unfortunately, the effectiveness is limited in time. It will probably be necessary to start again after a few years. And watch out! Waiting times for an appointment can be very long.