What is an allergic reaction? Or what causes an allergy? The body’s immune system has the primary task of protecting the body from viruses, allergens, bacteria and various other diseases. When the body’s immune system overreacts to an allergen like pollutants, dust mites, pollen it results in the inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose. This is known as Allergic Rhinitis. This is extremely common and affects anywhere between 10 to 30% of the world’s population.
An allergy manifests itself when the immune system wrongly identifies a harmless substance as dangerous and produces antibodies to protect itself. Allergies can also be triggered by certain foods. When antibodies are produced, they bind themselves to the body’s defense cells -known as mast cells. This causes chemicals like histamine to be released. Histamine is a part of the body’s anti-inflammatory response and acts on the cells, nerves and vessels of the nose. This results in the manifestation of the typical symptoms of an allergy- sneezing, itching sensation in the nasal cavity including the nose, mouth and throat, congestion and a runny nose. People also experience post-nasal drip- which is the sensation of mucus running down behind the throat. The eyes often turn watery and are red and very sore.
Some common allergens are pollutants, pollens from trees, grasses or weeds, dust mites, pet hair, pet dander, moulds and certain foods. The important question here is - Can an allergic reaction be prevented or reduced? Well, the answer is fortunately -yes! It is as simple as avoiding the trigger factors that can cause an allergy. This includes several preventive steps like - staying indoors more often especially in months when the dust, pollen , pollution levels are known to be high.
- keeping the doors and windows closed and wearing sunglasses or protective gear when you have to venture outside - While it may not be a practical solution to avoid going outdoors and stay indoors more often, another effective measure is practicing the nasal wash frequently with a Neti Pot! This will help you keep your nasal passage clear from pollutants and dust. Choose from our wide range of Neti Pots- Ceramic Neti Pots, Steel Neti Pots and Copper Neti pots!
The treatment for allergies is mostly symptomatic and relief is brought about with the use of antihistamines, corticosteroids, nasal mucus decongestants and nasal irrigation. Antihistamines come in the form of eyedrops, nasal sprays, oral tablets and syrups. Intranasal corticosteroids can help in reducing the inflammation in the nasal cavity. Nasal decongestants which include pediatric and adult nasal drops also help up to a certain extent. Additionally, nasal drops moisturize the nasal passage.
It is worthwhile to note here that antihistamines, corticosteroids, mucus decongestants are antibiotics by nature and nasal irrigation through a Neti pot is a safe time-tested and natural method of treating an allergy. Antibiotics offer temporary symptomatic treatment and often have their own side effects in the form of antibiotic resistance. They also cannot prevent the recurrence of such an allergy. However, nasal irrigation if practiced regularly through a Neti Pot can not only manage the symptoms of an allergy but also prevent it from happening altogether as the nasal passage is cleaned on a daily basis.