What Is Allergic Rhinitis?
Allergic rhinitis is the most common condition in the modern world that you may not have ever heard of. Rhinitis refers to the inflammation (-itis) of the nose (in Greek, rhinos, like the animal with the horn on its nose), and allergic rhinitis is a form of nasal inflammation and irritation caused by over-activity of the immune system.
The next time a few tiny particles of this particle land in your nose, your immune system acts as if you had an infection. It tells mast cells in the lining of your nose to explode tiny "grenades" of histamine, the body chemical you take antihistamines to control. Histamine literally dissolves tissues around the allergen, and the clear fluid in those tissues runs into your mucus, carrying the allergen with it.
Sometimes an allergen does not cause any symptoms at all when it is in your nose. It is only activated after it gets into the throat and its outer coat is dissolved by the same digestive enzymes that digest food. Then it can cause allergies in your throat and allergy-induced asthma.
That's why many people benefit, ironically, from taking capsules of "bee pollen" for their allergies. Bee pollen is the pollen bees collect on their travels outside the hive. Captured and processed during the harvesting of honey, bee pollen contains tremendous concentrations of antioxidants that act as antihistamines, stopping allergic reactions.
The problem with antihistamines is that many of the more affordable brands cause drowsiness. They interfere with job performance, they take away your energy for enjoying your life, and they set you up for accidents.
It's a lot better to keep allergens out of your upper respiratory tract in the first place. And the most efficient and affordable way to do that is with a home air purifying unit with HEPA filtration.
Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis
The most common form of allergic rhinitis is seasonal allergic rhinitis. As its name suggests, seasonal allergic rhinitis occurs about the same time every year, coinciding with a particular plant's reproductive cycle. When that plant's pollen fills the air, susceptible individuals get allergy symptoms.Over-Active Immune System
The reason something as simple as pollen can cause allergic rhinitis is that your immune system misidentifies it as a foreign invader. The very first time you were exposed to this particular allergy trigger, your immune system "remembered" it as if it were a bacterium or a virus.The next time a few tiny particles of this particle land in your nose, your immune system acts as if you had an infection. It tells mast cells in the lining of your nose to explode tiny "grenades" of histamine, the body chemical you take antihistamines to control. Histamine literally dissolves tissues around the allergen, and the clear fluid in those tissues runs into your mucus, carrying the allergen with it.
Sometimes an allergen does not cause any symptoms at all when it is in your nose. It is only activated after it gets into the throat and its outer coat is dissolved by the same digestive enzymes that digest food. Then it can cause allergies in your throat and allergy-induced asthma.
But What About Bee Pollen for Allergies? Why Would That Work?
The nature of allergic rhinitis is that nobody is allergic to everything—even if it seems that way. Your immune system might "remember" up to about 200 different substances as infectious invaders, but there will always be far more substances that don't cause allergies than do.That's why many people benefit, ironically, from taking capsules of "bee pollen" for their allergies. Bee pollen is the pollen bees collect on their travels outside the hive. Captured and processed during the harvesting of honey, bee pollen contains tremendous concentrations of antioxidants that act as antihistamines, stopping allergic reactions.
What Else Can You Do to Stop Allergic Rhinitis?
Although it is usually helpful, relatively few people take bee pollen for allergies. A lot more take various kinds of antihistamines.The problem with antihistamines is that many of the more affordable brands cause drowsiness. They interfere with job performance, they take away your energy for enjoying your life, and they set you up for accidents.
It's a lot better to keep allergens out of your upper respiratory tract in the first place. And the most efficient and affordable way to do that is with a home air purifying unit with HEPA filtration.
Allergic Rhinitis Articles
- What Is Allergic Rhinitis?
- Is Allergy The Same as Allergic Rhinitis?
- Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms
- Is It Allergic Rhinitis or Vasomotor Rhinitis
- Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms: They Are Not Necessarily What You Think
- Rhinitis Symptoms: Is It Allergic Rhinitis or Viral Rhinitis?
- How Allergic Rhinitis Becomes Viral Rhinitis and What You Can Do to Stop It
- How Allergic Rhinitis Can Become Atrophic Rhinitis, and What You Can Do to Stop It
- Allergic Rhinitis and Gustatory Rhinitis: What's the Difference?
- The Best Treatment for Allergic Rhinitis Doesn't Come from Your Drugstore
