Is Hay Fever the same as other kinds of allergies?

The term allergies seem to be thrown around a lot. But how do you know the differences between the two and how are they related?

All allergies are technically hypersensitivity reactions in the body. As previously described in the blog entry http://hayfeverinfo.blogspot.com/2011/08/some-of-physio.html it is described that in Hay Fever, the body interprets an innocent particle, such as pollen or dust, as a harmful substance. As a result, the body recognizes the antigen at every exposure and causes an unnecessary immune reaction in order to “defeat” the invader. For nasal allergies, such as Hay Fever, the route of exposure is primarily through the respiratory tract; hence the respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing.

Food allergies, and other forms of allergies (ie drug or insect bites/stings) are also caused by the basic concept of hypersensitivity in the body. They also have varying degrees and severity depending on the body’s amount of exposure and how it interprets the threat. For example, the bee sting. The bee sting’s route of exposure is through a superficial sting, which can actually enter the blood stream. The antigen is first seen through the skin and the hypersensitivity reaction may include symptoms such as pain, swelling, and redness at the site of entry. For those with more severe allergies it can even reach the point of anaphylactic shock which is a life threatening condition where vasodilatation can cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure and airway constriction can inhibit breathing resulting in the body’s loss of oxygen.

The treatment for both of these types of allergies is through the same mechanisms usually centered around anti-inflammatory and antihistamine medications. So if you do suffer from hay fever then you may expect to take a diphenhydramine (Benadryl) for the hay fever symptoms and/or if a bee stung you it would also help in suppressing symptoms of the event.  However not all treatments work the same and this would not be sufficient for an anaphylactic emergency.

Because both of these conditions are both correlating around the body’s hypersensitivity, having one may put you at a higher risk of obtaining more allergies. For concerns feel free to contact a doctor and be aware of what allergies you may have.