Question:
My mom suffers from a serious allergy to pine.
Her symptoms include rash, severe headache, difficulty
breathing, chest pain and more. Is there help for this?
Are there others who can relate?
Answer:
It could be an allergy to pine pollen, the yellow stuff that gets on
your car. With symptoms like these she should see a doctor. She might
have hay fever (rhinitus), urticaria (hives) or excema, and asthma.
Keep windows closed to minimize the pine pollen getting in the house. see:
http://www.njc.org/PRhtml/!k_asth.htm Asthma
http://www.njc.org/MFhtml/ALR_MF.html Rhinitis
http://www.njc.org/MFhtml/APO_MF.html Allergies to Pollen
"Allergies to Pollen
Facts about Allergies
The tendency to develop allergies may be inherited. If you have allergic
tendencies and are exposed to certain things in your environment
(allergens), you may develop allergies to some of those things. Examples
of allergy symptoms include itchy eyes, runny nose, asthma symptoms,
eczema and rash. The timing of the allergic response may be immediate or
delayed. Allergy testing may be recommended to help identify your
allergies.
Allergies to Pollen
Pollen from trees, shrubs, grasses and weeds can be inhaled, and cause
allergy and asthma symptoms. Pollen may travel many miles. Therefore,
trees, grasses and weeds in your general area can cause allergy and
asthma symptoms.
Environmental Control
Once an allergy has been identified, the next step is to decrease or
eliminate exposure to the allergen. This is called environmental
control. Evidence shows that allergy and asthma symptoms may improve
over time, if the recommended environmental control changes are made.
Many of the changes are for the entire home. The bedroom is the most
important, because the bedroom is where people usually spend 1/3 to 1/2
of their time.
Steps to Control Pollen Allergens
If possible, keep windows and outside doors shut during pollen
season, especially during the daytime.
If you have central or room air conditioning, use it to allow you
to keep windows and outside doors shut.
Pollen exposure is highest during the midday and afternoon.
Consider this when planning outdoor activities.
