HAY FEVER

Seasonal Rhinitis Cause



Diseases and Disorders:
" INTRODUCTION
" Aspergillosis
" Asthma
" Bronchal Adenoma
" Bronchitis
" Bronchiectasis
" Byssinosis
" Cough
" Emphysema
" Hantaviruses
" Hay Fever
" Laryngeal Cancer
" Laryngitis
" Lung Cancer
" Nasal Polyps
" Pneumonia
" Respiratory Failure
" Tuberculosis

Hay Fever

Hay Fever, form of seasonal rhinitis caused by allergy to pollens. Its symptoms are intense seizures of sneezing; inflammation of nose and eye membranes; and wheezing. Hay fever occurs annually at the same season. It is a reaction to inhalation of airborne pollens to which an individual is sensitive. Persons with a family history of hay fever may inherit a tendency to react, not to specific allergens, but to those to which they are exposed. Perhaps 8 to 10 percent of the U.S. population is affected.

A doctor may determine the sensitizing agent or agents by scratching the skin of the patient and applying various pollens. The pollens to which the patient is allergic will produce a wheal-and-flare reaction. Because hay fever involves an antigen-antibody reaction in which histamine in the body is released and irritates blood vessels and glands, some anti-histaminic agents may furnish relief. Long-term therapy involves a series of injections of pollen extracts before the pollen season begins; repeated annually, these relieve 75 percent of cases.

World Health Organization

Bronchodilators

Bronchodilators are medicines that help open the bronchial tubes (airways) of the lungs, allowing more air to flow through them.

Next: Bronchodilators

Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy allows a doctor to examine inside your airway for any abnormality such as foreign bodies, bleeding, a tumor, or inflammation. The doctor uses either a rigid bronchoscope or flexible bronchoscope.

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Respiratory System

Respiratory System, in anatomy and physiology, organs that deliver oxygen to the circulatory system for transport to all body cells. Oxygen is essential for cells, which use this vital substance to liberate the energy needed for cellular activities.

Next: Respiratory System