Allergy to birch

Allergy to birch is a fairly common type of pollen allergy, which affects both children and adults.

Many do not even suspect what is the cause of their ailment, which most often occurs at the end of April and lasts until May. The fact is that it is at this time that the birch blossoms, which pester allergy sufferers.

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Causes of Birch Allergy

Birch, or rather birch pollen - includes about forty protein compounds, but only six of them cause allergy. But nevertheless, in 90% of cases of disease, the wine becomes hypersensitive to the most harmful of proteins - glycoprotein.

It is worth remembering that a healthy person pollens the plant (no matter what) does not affect. But if your body is at least slightly weakened, then allergies (including birch) can not be avoided.

The main cause of birch allergy is a weakened immune system or its incorrect work. Therefore, having felt the first signs of the disease, one should seriously tackle the restoration of immunity.

Also it is worth remembering that allergy sufferers are people who, as a rule, have problems with the liver.

In addition to the weakened immune system, an allergy to the birch can be provoked by an individual intolerance to one of the components of plant pollen or heredity.

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Symptoms of birch allergy

With mild and moderate allergy to birch, the symptoms of the disease are no different from the symptoms of any other pollen allergy, it is:

• Allergic rhinitis (nasal congestion and sneezing).
• Increased lachrymation.
• Conjunctivitis (itching, redness and soreness of the proteins of the eyes and eyelids).
• Suffocation.

These symptoms appear immediately, as soon as a person is near the allergen.

With a more severe form of allergy to birch pollen, there are:

• Hives.
• Bronchial asthma.
• Fever.

Birch Allergy to a Child

The causes and symptoms of birch allergy in children are no different from the troubles associated with this disease in adults.

The child is more strongly affected than an adult, living in megacities with poor ecology, so the allergy in children can flow more vividly.

If your child has an allergy to birch pollen, it is necessary not only to isolate it from the allergen, but also to treat according to all medical prescriptions. Remember that a neglected disease in a baby is fraught with a severe form of dermatitis, bronchial asthma, damage to the nervous system and virtually all organs in adulthood!

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Cross-allergy to birch

Cross-allergy occurs in almost all people who suffer from pollen allergy. The person's health worsens when he consumes raw fruits or vegetables. The thing is that the proteins in some food and pollen are similar to such an extent that the weakened organism does not feel any difference.

So, a person who is allergic to birch, it is better to give up eating: stone fruit (apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, etc.), nuts (walnuts, cashew, forest), raw carrots, kiwi and celery. Otherwise, if an allergic person eats one of these foods, the symptoms of the illness will worsen.

Fortunately, the cross allergy in those who do not tolerate pollen of birch, is only in 7% of cases. But this is not a reason to forget about the warnings of doctors.

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Diagnosis of birch allergy

In order for the treatment to be effective and unpleasant symptoms do not bother you during the whole spring period, you must precisely determine the type of your allergy. Do not rely on your own feelings - you should always contact an allergist.

Diagnosis of birch allergy is in special tests and blood tests, which will show a reaction to the allergen T3 - it is the cause of hypersensitivity to birch pollen.

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Treatment of allergies to birch

First, the most important stage in the treatment of birch allergy is the timely access to a doctor.

But, unfortunately, you will not be able to avoid unpleasant symptoms of an allergy, therefore, to alleviate and improve their general condition, the following medicines are prescribed:

• Cromogexal - a spray for allergic rhinitis (children and adults - one injection into each nostril 4 times a day).
• Kromogeksal, like eye drops (for children and adults - one drop four times a day).
• Singular - with seasonal rhinitis and bronchial asthma on the basis of allergy (adults and children from 15 years - 1 tablet 10 mg in the evening, children 2-5 years - 1 tablet 4 mg once a day, children 6-14 years - 1 tablet 5 mg once a day).
• Telfast (adults and children from 12 years - 1 tablet 120-180 mg once a day, children from 6 to 11 - two tablets 30 mg per day).
• Suprastin (adults - 1 tablet 0,025 2-3 times a day during meals or intravenously and intramuscularly - 1-2 ml of a solution of 2%, children - half or quarter of a tablet of 0.025 depending on the age).

In addition to drug treatment, there are alternative ways to overcome allergies to birch:

• A pinch of birch kidneys (pharmacies) to crush and pour 100 ml of boiling water, let it brew for 10 minutes, strain and add to the bathroom. Gradually increase the dose to two tablespoons. Such baths should be taken 2-3 times a week in winter or in the spring. Thus, you can accustom your body to the plant and completely get rid of the allergy to the birch. 
• With allergies, strawberry leaves (3 parts), wormwood (2 parts), dandelion root and burdock, nettle (4 parts) are effective. Grasses to grind, 1 tablespoon of a mixture to fill in with one glass of boiled water and to insist on night. A filtered glass of broth is taken in three divided doses per day.

In addition, during blossoming of a birch leave on street in a medical mask, and in an ideal - leave in that place where do not grow birches.

Diet for birch allergies

First of all, you need to exclude from the diet products that can cause a cross allergy: stone fruits (peaches, apricots, cherries, plums), nuts (except peanuts), celery, kiwi, fresh carrots, young potatoes.

Reduce the use of sweets (sugar, jam, chocolate, ice cream, etc.).

Completely abandon alcohol, birch sap and teas with the addition of birch buds and leaves, alder.

As with any other disease, it is necessary to eat smoked foods, pickles and marinades carefully.

Read more about the diet for allergies.

Allergy to birch is a fairly common disease in our climate, but adherence to the rules and a timely visit to the doctor will help you, if not get rid of forever, then transfer with ease the period of flowering of the tree.

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