Assignment on pollen Allergy

Submitted to Submitted by

Madam E. Nongbri. nAme – Payushni Bhuyan

ClAss – 6th Semester

roll no – S1700803

DepArtment - Botany

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher
Madam E. Nongbri who gave me the opportunity to do this assignment
on the topic “Pollen Allergy”.
I am thankful to her for her continuous guidance and support, which
helped me to learn a lot of new things and gather a lot of important
information on this topic.
Secondly, I would also like to thank every member who helped me to
finish this assignment within the limited time period.

PAYUSHNI BHUYAN
6 th SEMESTER
DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY

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 CONTENTS
topiC pAge no
1. Introduction 4-5
2. Types of Pollen Allergy 5-8
3. Causes of Pollen Allergy 8-9
4. Symptoms of Pollen Allergy 9
5. Diagnosing of Pollen Allergy
by doctors 10-11
6. Treatment for Pollen Allergy 12-16
7. Self measures to prevent an allergic
reaction to pollen 17
8. Conclusion 18
9. Bibliography 19

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 INTRODUCTION
Plants produce microscopic round or oval pollen grains to reproduce. In
some species, the plant uses the pollen from its own flowers to fertilize
itself. Other types must be cross-pollinated; that is, in order for
fertilization to take place and seeds to form, pollen must be transferred
from the flower of one plant to that of another plant of the same species.
Insects do this job for certain flowering plants, while other plants rely on
wind transport.
Each plant has a pollinating period that is more or less the same from
year to year. Exactly when a plant starts to pollinate seems to depend on
the relative length of night and day and therefore on geographical
location rather than on the weather. ( On the other hand, weather
conditions during pollination can affect the amount of pollen produced
and distributed in a specific year.) Thus, the farther north you go, the
later the pollinating period and the later the allergy season.
A pollen count, which is familiar to many people from local weather
reports, is a measure of how much pollen is in the air. This count
represents the concentration of all the pollen ( or of one particular type,
like ragweed) in the air in a certain area at a specific time. It is expressed
in grains of pollen per square meter of air collected over 24 hours.
Pollen counts tend to be highest early in the morning on warm, dry,
breezy days and lowest during chilly, wet periods. Although a pollen
count is an approximate and fluctuating measure, it is useful as a general
guide for when it is advisable to stay indoors and avoid contact with the
pollen.
Each spring, summer and fall, tiny particles are released from trees,
weeds and grasses. These particles known as pollen, hitch rides on
currents of air. Although their mission is to fertilize parts of other plants
may never reach their targets. Instead, they enter human noses and

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throats, triggering a type of seasonal allergic rhinitis called pollen
allergy, which many people know as hay fever or rose fever ( depending
on the season in which the symptoms occur). Of all the things that cause
an allergy, pollen is one of the most widespread. Many of the foods,
drugs, or animals that cause allergies can be avoided to a great extent;
even insects and household dust are escapable. Short of staying indoors
when the pollen count is high and even that may not help, there is no
easy way to evade windborne pollen. Hay fever ( Allergic Rhinitis) is
the most common of the allergic diseases. Year round or perennial
allergic rhinitis is usually due to indoor allergens, such as dust mites or
molds.

FIG: Images of pollen allergy

TYPES OF POLLEN ALLERGY

There are hundreds of plant species that release pollen into the air and
trigger allergic reactions. They are-

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Birch Pollen Allergy
Birch pollen is one of the most common airborne allergens during the
spring. As the trees bloom, they release tiny grains of pollen that are
scattered by the wind.
A single birch tree can produce up to 5 million pollen grains, with
many travelling distances of up to 100 yards from the parent tree.

FIG: Image of Birch Pollen.

Oak Pollen Allergy

Like birch trees, oak trees send pollen into the air during the spring.
While oak pollen is considered to be mildly allergenic compared to the
pollen of other trees, it stays in the air for longer periods of time. This
can cause severe allergic reactions in some people with pollen allergies.

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FIG: Image of Oak Pollen

Grass Pollen Allergy

Grass is the primary trigger of pollen allergies during the summer
months. It causes most of the severe and difficult- to-treat symptoms.
However the AAAAI ( American Academy of Allergy Asthma And
Immunology) reports that allergy shots and allergy tablets can be highly
effective in relieving symptoms of grass pollen allergies.

FIG: Image Of grass pollen

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Ragweed Pollen Allergy
Ragweed plants are the main culprits of allergies among weed pollens.
They are the most active between the late spring and fall months.
Depending on the location, however, ragweed may begin spreading
its pollen as early as the last week of july and continue into the middle
of October. Its wind-driven pollen can travel hundreds of miles and
survive through a mild winter.

FIG: Image of Ragweed pollen allergy.

CAUSES OF POLLEN ALLERGY

Some plants, including ragweed, grasses and oak trees make a fine
powder called pollen that’s light enough to travel through the air. This is
how these plants grow and reproduce themselves.

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 More than 25 million Americans are allergic to pollen . Some
people are allergic to tree pollen, which is in the air spring. Others have
a problem with grass pollen, which is more of a summertime issue. Still
others have trouble with weed pollen, which is common in the fall.

SYMPTOMS OF POLLEN ALLERGY

People with pollen allergies only have symptoms when the pollens they
are allergic to are in the air. Symptoms include:
 Running nose and mucus production.
 Sneezing.
 Itchy nose, eyes, ears and mouth.
 Stuffy nose ( nasal congestion).
 Red and watery eyes.
 Swelling around the eyes.
 Decreased sense of taste and smell.
 Sinus pressure, which may cause facial pain.

FIG: Symptoms of pollen allergy.

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 DIAGNOSING OF POLLEN ALLERGY
BY DOCTORS
Doctors use two tests to diagnose a pollen allergy-

Skin prick test (SPT)

In prick/ scratch testing, a nurse or doctor places a small drop of the
possible allergen on our skin. Then the nurse will lightly prick or scratch
the spot with a needle through the drop. If we are allergic to the
substance, we will develop redness, swelling and itching at the test site
within 20 minutes. We may also see a wheal. A wheal is a raised, round
area that looks like a hive. Usually, the larger the wheal, the more likely
we are to be allergic to the allergen.
A positive SPT to a particular pollen allergen does not necessarily
mean that a person has an allergy. Health care providers must compare
the skin test results with the time and place of a person’s symptoms to
see if they match.

FIG: Images of Skin prick test.

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Specific IgE Blood Test
Blood tests are helpful when people have a skin condition or are taking
medicines that interfere with skin testing. They may also be used in
children who may not tolerate skin testing. Our doctor will take a blood
sample and send it to a laboratory. The lab adds the allergen to our blood
sample. Then they measure the amount of antibodies our blood produces
to attack the allergens. This test is called Specific IgE (slgE) Blood
Testing. ( This was previously and commonly referred to as RAST or
ImmunoCAP testing.) As with skin testing, a positive blood test to an
allergen does not necessarily mean that an allergen caused our
symptoms.

FIG: Image of specific IgE blood test.

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 TREATMENT FOR POLLEN ALLERGY
Certain over-the-counter and prescription medicines may help reduce
pollen allergy symptoms.

Antihistamines
It comes in pill, liquid or nasal spray form. They can relieve sneezing
and itching in the nose and the eyes. They also reduce a running nose
and, to a lesser extent, nasal stuffiness.

FIG: Antihistamines for pollen allergy.

Decongestants
These are available as pills, liquids, nasal sprays or drops. They help
shrink the lining of the nasal passages and relieve nasal stuffiness. Use
decongestant nose drops and sprays only on the short-term.

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FIG: Decongestants for pollen allergy.

Nasal corticosteroids
These are a type of nasal spray. They reduce inflammation in the nose
and block allergic reactions. They are the most effective medicine type
for allergic rhinitis because they can reduce all symptoms, including
nasal congestion. Nasal corticosteroids have few side effects.

FIG : Nasal Corticosteroids for pollen allergy.

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Leukotriene receptor antagonists
These block the action of important chemical messengers (other than
histamine) that are involved in allergic reactions.

FIG: Leukotriene receptor antagonists for

pollen allergy.

Cromolyn sodium
This is a nasal spray that blocks the release of chemicals that cause
allergy symptoms, including histamine and leukotrienes. This medicine
has few side effects, but we must take it four times a day.
Many people with pollen allergy do not get complete relief from
medications. This means they can be candidates for immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy is a long term treatment that can help prevent or reduce
the severity of allergic reactions. It can change the course of allergic
disease by modifying the body’s immune response to allergens.

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FIG: Cromolyn Sodium for pollen allergy.

Allergy Shots – Subcutaneous Immunotherapy

(SCIT)
It has been around for more than 100 years and can provide long-lasting
symptom relief. SCIT is a series of shots that have progressively a larger
amount of allergen. An injection of the allergen goes into the fat under
the skin. Overtime, allergic symptoms generally improve. Many patients
experience complete relief within one to three years of starting SCIT.
Many people experience benefits for at least several years after the shots
stop.

FIG: Images of Allergy Shots.

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Sublingual Immunotherapy
It involves placing a tablet containing the allergen under the tongue for 1
to 2 minutes and then swallowing it. In 2014, the FDA (Food And Drug
Administration) approved three types of under- the- tongue tablets to
treat grass and ragweed allergies. More are in development. We take
SLIT tablets daily and before and during grass or ragweed season. This
treatment offers people with these allergies a potential alternative to
allergy shots.

FIG: Images of Sublingual Immunotherapy.

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 SELF MEASURES TO PREVENT AN
ALLERGIC REACTION TO POLLEN
Some actions that we can take to reduce allergic reactions to pollen are-

 We should limit our outdoor activities when pollen counts are

high. This will lessen the amount of pollen allergen we inhale and
reduce our symptoms.
 We should keep windows closed during pollen season and use
central air conditioning with a CERTIFIED asthma and allergy
friendly filter attachment. This applies to our home and to any
vehicle ( car, bus, train etc.)
 We should start taking allergy medicines before pollen season
begins. Most allergy medicines work best when taken this way.
This allows the medicine to prevent our body from releasing
histamine and other chemicals that cause our symptoms.
 We should bathe and shampoo our hair daily before going to bed.
This will remove pollen from our hair and skin and keep it off our
bedding.
 We should wash bedding in hot, soapy water once a week.
 We should wear sunglasses and a hat. This will help keep pollen
out of our eyes and off our hair.
 We should limit close contact with pets that spend a lot of time
outdoors.
 We should change and wash clothes worn during outdoor
activities.
 We should dry our clothes in a clothes dryer, not on an outdoor
line.

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 CONCLUSION
Increased morbidity and mortality due to allergic disorders is of
major global concern today. About 30% of the global population is
estimated to suffer from one or the other allergic diseases. Among
bio- pollutants responsible for precipitating the allergic symptoms
in susceptible individuals, pollen are the major aeroallergen and it
has been observed that wide variety of pollen are responsible for
eliciting the allergic symptoms in different parts of the world.
There is an urgent need to identify and quantify the airborne
pollen. Monitoring of air in respective areas will help in diagnosis
the type of allergic disorders and will also help the physicians and
clinicians to identify the cause of allergic diseases and treat the
patients in a better and effective way. Clinical investigations give
more clarity to diagnose the sensitivity of allergen or cause of
allergy, and make it easier and convenient to give proper
immunotherapy to the patients. This also helps and assures
definite control, cure and prevention of the particular allergic
diseases.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. [Link]
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3. [Link]

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