Hay Fever
Many people cite spring and fall as their favorite seasons.
The moderate temperatures and humidities allow us to enjoy the outdoors without freezing or heat exhaustion.
For billions of people on Earth, however, these in-between seasons don’t arrive string-free. Spring and autumn can bring a punishing reaction to nature’s rhythms: seasonal allergies.
Colloquially termed hay fever, this phenomenon is spectacularly misnamed. The moniker’s first half evolved because the timing of seasonal allergies coincided with the sowing and reaping of hay, but hay is largely not the cause for hay fever. And, though the symptoms of seasonal allergies often mimic those of the common cold, humans don’t develop elevated body temperatures during this sneezy suffering.
The medical term for the body’s response to hay fever is allergic rhinitis.
Rhinitis means “inflammation of the nose.” Our noses produce a thin, clear liquid called mucus that we use to protect our lungs from inhaled debris and to catch pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. Mucus is ever-present, but its existence is usually so minuscule that we don’t notice as it drains down the back of our throats. When sick, our bodies can produce copious amounts of viscous, even colorful, mucus. This thick gel does not pass quietly through the back of the throat. It can come out of the front of the nose, lodge in the nasal passages, and cause coughing or sneezing. In terms of illness, this reaction is a way for our bodies to expel a contaminant.
Yay for disgusting evolution.
For people who suffer from seasonal allergies, though, this response occurs without a sickness. The main culprit is pollen. For approximately 10 to 30% of the population, when pollen hits the nasal passages, the immune system interprets the substance as a dangerous invader. The body pumps out histamines, inflammatory chemicals that increase the permeability of nearby capillaries to white blood cells. In other words, they open up pathways for illness-fighting cells to attack the invaders. In the nose, this comes with increased mucus production, leading to the symptoms of seasonal allergies.
Pollen is not a dangerous pathogen, so why does the body react as if it is in some people? Scientists believe the physical structures of pollen resemble those of dangerous particles, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungal spores. The internal structures seem like they might be these invaders, so the body rushes to take care of the issue.
Though the timing of hay fever might coincide with the blooming of many spring flowers, the plants frequented by bees are not the cause of your suffering. The pollen from these flowers is too heavy to be readily inhaled, hence the need for insects to spread it.
Instead, the offenders are wind-pollinated plants, namely trees and grasses.
The tree list is mighty, including pines, mulberries, birches, alders, cedars, hazels, hornbeams, chestnuts, willows, poplars, and olives. If you live in a location with seasonal tree changes, chances are some of your natives cause seasonal allergies. Aerobiologists estimate that 15-20% of people living in northern latitudes are affected by birch pollen alone. Places without these types of trees are not immune. In Japan, for example, sugi and hinoki pollen run rampant. If you want to surround yourself with trees that don’t cause as many problems, try ashes, maples, dogwoods, spruces, firs, and, ironically, magnolias and flowering cherries.
Grasses get in on the fun, too. Rye and timothy grasses are the main issues. Researchers believe 90% of those who suffer from hay fever are allergic to grass pollen.
Interestingly, in many parts of the world, tree and grass pollination periods tend to happen at different points. Maximum tree season tends to be February through April, depending on the location, while grasses hit hardest from April to June. As yearly sufferers know, the growing season is not the end of the torment. Weeds decide to join the fray from August until late fall or early winter. Ragweed rears its ugly head just as we think a period of calmness might approach.
For people allergic to tree pollen, grass pollen, and weed pollen, this near-constant session of allergies seems cruel, but the real kicker arrives during the overlap. If tree season bleeds into grass season, say in April or May, rhinitis goes into hyperdrive.
Hay fever can produce hellish periods for the affected. The continuous outpouring of mucus can be so overwhelming that the basic human response developed a “medical” term: the allergic salute. See the photo above.
This gesture serves several purposes. Not only does it wipe excess mucus from the nose, but it can also physically open swollen passageways temporarily. Of course, it’s also an easy way to spread any real germs to others.
Additionally, if people salute enough, permanent creases can develop in the nose!
Another potential byproduct of hay fever is known as an allergic shiner. The blood vessels under the eyes become inflamed, thanks to the histamine response. In some people, the effect is so noticeable that it appears as if they have black eyes from a contact injury.
For some, the remedy to hay fever is relatively simple, and the period of malaise is short. Antihistamine medications can block the response. Saline sprays can clean out the nasal passages. Steroidal sprays can help inflammation subside. Allergy shots and immunotherapy can help attune one’s body to the problem over time.
Of course, for some of us, seasonal allergies aren’t so seasonal. For those with chronic allergies, daily medication or periodic injections might become a part of life.
The science behind why some humans develop these allergies while others breathe freely is not settled, though genetic aspects appear to be prevalent. Exposure to smoking at an early age also seems to play a role. Being around allergen producers at an early age can mitigate or eliminate seasonal allergies, but this reality is far from universal.
For some people, allergies are simply part of life.
Want to interact with critters and spend time in the woods? Sometimes, you just have to put up with the mucus! You might recognize your fellow sufferers by the secret non-handshake, an allergic salute to dealing with immune systems gone haywire.
Further Reading and Exploration
Nasal Allergies (Rhinitis) – Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Pollen Allergy – Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
How the Allergic Salute Is Creasing Your Nose – Healthline
What are Allergic Shiners? – Ask the Allergist
Seasonal allergies: Nip them in the bud – Mayo Clinic
