Ragweed allergy facts

This is a pretty usual health problem for the natives of the Northern Hemisphere and South America. The name itself, ragweed, comes form the genus of flowering plants named ragweed which are all in the sunflower family. Researchers agree that a single plant can create a vast number of grams of pollen in a single season. They agree that that number may be a billion grams. Hay fever is caused because of the fact that this amount of pollen will certainly cause allergies. An interesting bond exists between ragweed allergies and global warming. Because of global warming the carbon dioxide levels are much higher. This allows ragweed plants to create more pollen. Since these are wind-pollinated plants, the pollens will be able to cover a large distance in days with dry wind. This will result in more people being affected by the pollen and the allergies will lead to hay fever.

Ragweed allergies

People with highly-sensitive immune systems will be stricken first and most often. The allergy shows its face in form of several symptoms of what goes by the name hay fever. Banana and even cantaloupe may even cause allergies with people with weak immune systems. Sunflower seeds and chamomile tea can even provoke some serious allergy symptoms. The season of this allergy lasts from August to October.

Symptoms

These symptoms are not that uncommon and are no real trouble for the person who ends up suffering from them. Eye irritation, runny nose and a lot of sneezing are the ones that occur the most. Puffy eyes and inflamed nose and throat may affect a person as well. However, headache, sleep disturbance and asthma will only attack those who are very sensitive to allergies.

Remedies

The first thing most doctors recommend a person should use are antihistamines. These are excellent medications for ragweed allergies because they prevent the release of histamines in the body. Histamines are a chemical reaction to allergies. Antihistamines can be bought as a nasal spray, eye drops and oral pills. Decongestants are also a good choice to fight ragweed allergies and can be bought as a nasal spray or oral pills. Of course, the doctor will determine the amount of medications that should be consumed depending on how bad the allergy and its symptoms are.

However, these medications do not work with all people. Immunotherapy may be the better choice for them. This is a very good way to treat allergies but a long period of time may pass before a person can see the results. For some it may be a couple of months, while for some it may be even a few years.