Hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis. It is caused by an allergy to grass or hay pollens. The hay fever season generally begins with the release of pollen by trees. This may start as early as February and continue to late May. Trees such as birch and oak are particularly to blame.
Hay fever affects 15 to 20 % of the population in Britain, where it is mainly caused by grass pollen. In other countries other pollens cause major 'hay fever' as well; ragweed in the USA, birch tree pollen in Scandinavia, and cedar pollen in Japan, for example.
Causes
Anyone can get hay fever at any time in his life. If parents have allergies, their children are more likely to have allergies and more likely to experience hay fever.
Allergies are caused by an oversensitive immune system, leading to a misdirected immune response. The immune system normally protects the body against harmful substances such as bacteria and viruses. Allergy occurs when the immune system reacts to substances (allergens) that are generally harmless and in most people do not cause an immune response. If you have hay fever, you may react to one or more common inhaled allergens. No matter what you're allergic to, the underlying cause of your misery is the same. During a process called sensitization, your immune system mistakenly identifies the allergen as an invader and produces an antibody against it called immunoglobulin E.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of hay fever are: repeated sneezing attacks Itchy or watery eyes An itchy throat, palate and ears Loss of concentration A general feeling of being unwell (hence hay 'fever') Runny nose Congestion Sneezing Watery eyes Roof of mouth itches Cough Severe symptoms may make sleeping difficult. People who experience both asthma and hay fever may also wheeze and become short of breath.
Treatment
If you have eye allergies, try wearing wraparound or goggle-type sunglasses to protect your eyes from pollens. If you are exposed to pollen, wash your eyes and your eyeglasses frequently with soap and water. Use cool compresses to relieve eye symptoms. Ask your doctor about over-the-counter and prescription drugs that can provide relief. If symptoms remain severe despite medication, you might benefit from desensitisation immunotherapy to grass pollen. You will be given injections of minute amounts of pollen over a three-year period to induce immune tolerance and cure the allergy. Unfortunately, this treatment is not widely available in the UK.
These oral medications and nasal sprays help relieve itching, sneezing and runny nose, but have less effect on congestion. They work by blocking histamine, an inflammatory chemical released by your immune system during an allergic reaction.
Colorado Tick Fever is an illness caused by a virus. This virus is carried by small mammals, such as ground squirrels, porcupines, and chipmunks, and by ticks. This type of fever manly founds in the United States. This disease is caused by infection with the Colorado tick fever virus, a member of the Coltivirus genera.
Causes
People get Colorado Tick Fever from a tick bite. In this type of fever there is no evidence of natural person-to-person transmission. However, rare cases of transmission from blood transfusions have been reported. CTF is a seasonal disease, and occurs in mountain forest habitats at altitudes from 4,000 to 10,000 feet in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. In United States it happens during the months of February through October. Approximately 90% of cases occur between April and July. Some cases have been associated with exposures to the virus in laboratory settings and one case followed transfusion of blood from a person infected with CTF virus within 4 months of donation.
Symptoms
First signs of symptoms can occur about 3-6 days after the initial tick bite, although it can have incubation periods of up to 20 days. Patients usually experience a two-staged fever and illness which can continue for three days, diminish, and then return for another episode of 1-3 days. The early signs of CTF are often nonspecific and may resemble many other infectious and non-infectious diseases. The common symptoms are - Chills Headache Pain behind the eyes Light sensitivity Muscle pain Generalized malaise Abdominal pain Nausea and Vomiting
Treatment
Take a pain reliever if necessary (do not give aspirin to children; it is associated with Reye's syndrome in some viral illnesses). If complications develop, treatment will be aimed at controlling the symptoms. Salicylates should not be used because of thrombocytopenia and the rare occurrence of bleeding disorders following CTF virus infection. Call your health care provider if you are unable to fully remove a tick embedded in the skin, if you or your child develops symptoms suggestive of this disease, if symptoms worsen or do not improve with treatment, or if new symptoms develop.
Apply repellants to discourage tick attachment. Repellents containing permethrin can be sprayed on boots and clothing, and will last for several days. Repellents containing DEET (n, n-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be applied to the skin, but will last only a few hours before reapplication is necessary. Use DEET with caution on children. Application of large amounts of DEET on children has been associated with adverse reactions.
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