How to sneak to the outhouse at night without getting attacked by mosquitoes? How to explain to an Italian waiter that a single nut on the plate will make your throat swell dramatically? Allergy coach Anne Vuorenmaa tells us how to enjoy the summer despite allergies.
Allergies The nature is blooming, but summer is a difficult time for many people with allergies. Pollen and food are the most common causes of allergy. Even the smell of barbecue or other strong scents may cause symptoms in some people. This, however, is not allergy but hypersensitivity or asthma.
Pollen is the worst enemy of an allergic person, and the problems begin early in spring. In birch allergy, you continue to suffer from a runny nose, itchy eyes and, in the worst cases, shortness of breath until long after Midsummer.
“Correct, regular medication helps when the symptoms are worse than just a couple of sneezes every now and then. You can’t really escape pollen,” Ms Vuorenmaa says.
Rinsing your hair before going to bed can help, so that your pillow does not catch pollen. Allergic people should not dry their laundry outdoors during the pollen season.
Don’t
panic
In summer, people with insect allergies are always on the alert. Those little nasties are lurking all over the place, ready to sting you, and some people can get dramatic symptoms. An adrenaline injector may be needed as first aid. It is also used in severe allergic reactions caused by food or drugs.
Fortunately, we can fight mosquitoes with repellents. Sweet scents and bright colours attract wasps, which is why wearing black clothes could be a good idea.
When you are travelling, remember to take all your drugs and prescriptions with you. At the hotel, try to get a special allergy room without carpeting. Take with you a paper that lists your allergies in all the relevant languages.
Hysterical cleaning, avoidance and fussing are of no use and not good for you. About 70 per cent of all allergies are mild. In these cases, some desensitisation treatment does not hurt.
Sometimes Ms Vuorenmaa has to correct misunderstandings.
“In cross allergies, your body treats similar types of proteins as the one and same. This is why a person with birch allergy can get a reaction from root vegetables, for example. However, some people are quite unnecessarily avoiding all ingredients that could possibly cause cross allergy, even though all of them do not cause any symptoms at all,” Ms Vuorenmaa explains.
Text Anne Vilenius | Photo iStockphoto