Can Pine Pollen Cause Allergies

Treatment Of Pollen Allergies In Cats

Pollen allergies are usually treated either conservatively or with a variety of prescription medicines, depending on the severity of symptoms. If your cat suffers from mild discomfort seasonally, your vet may advise to keep your pet indoors in order to limit exposure to pollen. If your cat& rsquo s symptoms are severe, your vet may prescribe medicines known as antihistamines. These drugs act by inhibiting the immune response to allergens. Long-term use of antihistamines may result in your cat& rsquo s system adapting and the drug no longer being effective. They can also potentially impact your cat& rsquo s liver and kidney health.

How Can I Treat My Allergies

Unless you have other health problems, such as asthma, you may take over-the-counter medicine to treat your symptoms at home. If you have other health problems, talk to your doctor first. Older adults, children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also talk to their doctor before taking medication.

If home treatments do not help or the over-the-counter medicines make you sleepy or cause other side-effects, then your doctor can prescribe medication. If your allergies continue to bother you and you cannot avoid the things you are allergic to, you and your doctor can decide if you should get allergy shots to help control your symptoms. For allergy shots to work, you may need to do skin or lab tests first.

Natural Remedies For Dog Pollen Allergies

Here are some natural care remedies for your dog that are good to have at hand during pollen allergy season:

• Coconut oil: its antibacterial properties reduce the sensation of itchy skin. Used in combination with fish oil, it can decrease allergic responses your dog might have to pollen.
• Aloe vera: make sure you use it in gel form. Due to its anti-inflammatory characteristics, it is just right for treating hot spots and itches.
• Apple cider vinegar: very effective for cleaning your dogs paws from pollen
• Thyme infusion: calms down the skin infections, suitable for the toes and paws
• Fish oil and turmeric: anti-inflammatory supplements like these may benefit your furry friend.

Be sure to speak with your vet before trying any of these or other natural treatments.

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What Are Pine And Oak Pollen Allergies In Pets

In the springtime, different varieties of pine and oak trees release significant amounts of pollen into the air. This can aggravate seasonal allergies in our pets, and its difficult to avoid, as the pollen can drift over a large area.

The pollen released by the trees lands on your pets paws, coat, and skin. Specialized immune cells, called mast cells, leap into action on your pets behalf. When the immune system is stimulated by allergens, it produces a protein called histamine. Histamine causes an inflammatory response in the tissues, leading to itchy and inflamed skin.

Pine Pollen: A Lesser Cause Of Hay Fever

Although pine pollen can cause hay fever, it is usually not the primary cause of most people’s symptoms even if they are allergic to it. This is because the pollen particles are so heavy that they settle out of the air fairly quickly instead of being carried long distances by the wind.

People tend to blame pine tree pollen for their allergies because it is one of the easiest pollens to spot as it usually coats everything in its path with a thick yellow dust. However, some people are allergic to it and limited contact with it can cause hay fever.

Identifying Pines and Their Pollen

There are about 115 different species of pine trees. Although the species are numerous, all pine trees have similar characteristics and are fairly easy to identify.

The primary distinguishing characteristic of pine trees will be their needle shaped leaves. These trees are coniferous trees, which means they also produce pine cones as their method of reproduction.

While most people can identify a pine cone fairly easily, they often don’t notice the much smaller pollen producing cones that can be found on the same trees as normal pine cones.

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Do Pine Trees Cause Allergies

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Consequently, what are the worst trees for allergies?

Some of the worst tree allergens include:

• alder.
• cottonwood.
• date palm.

One may also ask, can you be allergic to spruce trees? The Pinaceae family, which includes pine trees and spruce trees , is a major source of colophony and turpentine. Allergic contact dermatitis from handling trees is uncommon. Contact dermatitis due to colophony most commonly occurs after contact with medical adhesives.

Furthermore, do pine trees give off pollen?

Pine trees produce large amounts of pollen each spring in order to ensure that the seeds get fertilized and the species can survive. You may not know this, but pine trees have both male and female pine cones. Pine pollen is large and heavy and drops quickly to the ground, which is why it coats everything.

What trees cause the most allergies?

Common Plants and Trees That Trigger Allergies

• Scroll down to read all. 1 / 15. Birch.
• 2 / 15. Elm. This tree grows in all but the coldest northern parts of the continental U.S. and makes pollen in the fall.
• 3 / 15. Cedar.

Pollen allergy symptoms most often include:

allergicpollenavoidWhich foods should you avoid?

• Almonds.

Diagnosis Of Pollen Allergies In Cats

Your veterinarian will need to conduct a thorough physical exam of your cat in order to accurately diagnose pollen allergies. Since most allergies present with similar symptoms, your vet will need to rule out other potential aggravating environmental, food or toxins they may have come in contact with. It will be important for you to provide your vet with a thorough physical and medical history of your cat. If your cat has recently had any changes in food, bedding or has been exposed to unusual chemicals, this information could help differentiate between allergies to pollen and something else. You should also document the progression of the symptoms, including whether your cat has always suffered from the condition and whether the symptoms improve or worsen at certain times of the year or after certain activities, such as being outside.

Your vet may also take a small smear from the tissue inside your cat& rsquo s nose and mouth. This will allow them to analyze the cells for any inflammatory responses that would indicate allergies. In order to rule out allergies to other substances, your vet may order short term food trials. This will involve modifying your pet& rsquo s diet to special prescription foods that contain minimal ingredients in order to test whether food is the potential culprit.

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How Do Doctors Diagnose Pollen Allergy

Doctors use two tests to diagnose a pollen allergy.

Skin Prick Test In prick/scratch testing, a nurse or doctor places a small drop of the possible allergen on your skin. Then the nurse will lightly prick or scratch the spot with a needle through the drop. If you are allergic to the substance, you will develop redness, swelling and itching at the test site within 20 minutes. You may also see a wheal. A wheal is a raised, round area that looks like a hive. Usually, the larger the wheal, the more likely you are to be allergic to the allergen.

A positive SPT to a particular pollen allergen does not necessarily mean that a person has an allergy. Health care providers must compare the skin test results with the time and place of a persons symptoms to see if they match.

Specific IgE Blood Test Blood tests are helpful when people have a skin condition or are taking medicines that interfere with skin testing. They may also be used in children who may not tolerate skin testing. Your doctor will take a blood sample and send it to a laboratory. The lab adds the allergen to your blood sample. Then they measure the amount of antibodies your blood produces to attack the allergens. This test is called Specific IgE Blood Testing. As with skin testing, a positive blood test to an allergen does not necessarily mean that an allergen caused your symptoms.

How Can We Beat Tree Pollen Allergy

Healthcare, insurance, lifestyle, and smart home brands in particular can help individuals prevent and alleviate hay fever symptoms. How? By utilizing actionable real-time location-specific tree pollen data, from pollen heatmap forecasts to consumer-specific prompts based on pollen type, plant, species and more.

• Tree pollen can settle on skin and hair. On days with higher concentrations in the air, prompt people to pursue various self-care tips like showering after getting back home or before going into bed. This will help them remove tree pollen from their body, bedsheets, and clean clothes.

Dr. Yvonne Boose

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Do Pine Trees Have A Lot Of Pollen

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. Moreover, how long do pine trees produce pollen?

The pine pollen season usually lasts about 2-3 weeks but that is very dependent weather conditions. Dry conditions and warm temperatures are needed for the trees to begin producing the pollen but periods of rain will keep the pollen from being distributed as far by the wind.

Likewise, can you take too much pine pollen? If you‘re using pine pollen as a testosterone booster, be careful not to use too much. Levels of testosterone that are too high can cause the following problems in males: enlarged prostate. damage to heart muscle.

Keeping this in consideration, how do pine trees release pollen?

Pine trees produce small, male cones that create the pollenin small, internal chambers. Once the pollen matures, the male cones release the pollen to fertilize the female cones. The cones then die and fall apart after scattering their pollen.

What are the side effects of pine pollen?

Also, like other hormones, testosterone levels should stay within a certain range, and there’s a risk that using pine pollen supplements may make your hormone levels too high and lead to side effects such as blood clots in the legs, cardiovascular problems, increased risk of prostate cancer, acne, sleep apnea, and low

Diagnosis Of Pollen Allergies

If you have allergic symptoms that seem to appear at certain times of the year, you should visit your family doctor, who will ask some questions about your allergic reactions. You can also discuss your record of your symptoms. To diagnose your allergy, your doctor may refer you to a specialist doctor known as an allergist or clinical immunologist.Allergists can test for allergies using a number of methods depending on the type of potential allergy. To test for an allergy to pollens, the allergist may use a skin prick test or a blood test for allergies.

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What Actually Is Hay Fever And What Are The Symptoms

Hay fever is a type of allergy that occurs when your body reacts to pollen from trees or shrubs as though it was a harmful organism. To fight this supposed harmful organism, a hay fever sufferers immune system will start producing antibodies to try to prevent it spreading.

The histamine produced by the body leads to the sufferer developing typical hay fever symptoms such as:

• Sneezing

• Disrupted sleep, tiredness and irritability

What Are The Symptoms Of A Tree Pollen Allergy

Pollen allergy symptoms are commonly called hay fever. Pollen released by trees, as well as grasses and weeds, cause these symptoms. They include:

• Runny nose and mucus production
• Sneezing
• Itchy nose, eyes, ears and mouth
• Stuffy nose
• Swelling around the eyes

If you have allergic asthma and are allergic to tree pollen, you might also have asthma symptoms while the trees are pollinating.

Tree pollen is finer than other pollens. Because of this, the wind can carry it for miles. These light, dry grains easily find their way to your sinuses, lungs and eyes, making them hard to avoid.

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What Are The Most Common Allergenic Tree Pollens In The Us

If you live in the United States, the chances are high that you will encounter tree pollen no matter where you reside. Fortunately, many people are only allergic to specific types of tree pollen, and knowing which types of tree pollen you are allergic to can help you reduce your airborne allergen exposure. The most prevalent types of tree pollen producers in the United States are:

Pine Trees

These evergreen trees produce high levels of pollen that are often visible on outdoor surfaces. Contrary to what you might think, pine pollen allergies and Christmas tree allergies are two different things.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology , if you have an allergic reaction to your Christmas tree, it is probably triggered by airborne weed pollen that settled on the trees branches during the fall months, rather than by the tree itself.

Oak Trees

Oak tree pollen levels are highest in the morning, so those with oak pollen allergies should reserve outdoor activities until the afternoon or evening. A wide range of oak trees can be found throughout the United States, both in residential areas and in forests. These large trees produce high levels of pollen, meaning that people with oak pollen allergies may have to take extra precautions to limit exposure.

Mulberry Trees

Palm Trees

What Is Tree Pollen

Seed-bearing plants, including trees, create pollen as a part of their reproductive process. Because trees are typically rooted in one place, they must rely on the wind to spread the pollen spores that they release into the air. To counteract this method of untargeted pollen distribution, trees produce high levels of pollen that can be carried on the wind for miles. If you have a tree pollen sensitivity, it means that your immune system overreacts when it comes into contact with pollen. Symptoms of a pollen allergy can include sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, and a runny or stuffy nose. More severe allergic reactions to pollen can even trigger asthma attacks.

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Landscape Plants People With Allergies Should Avoid

Spring and summer are great for nurturing a perfectly-manicured garden and lawn. While to most people flowers and leaves are a great addition to homes, others may suffer from allergies, cutting off their enjoyment of the outdoors and even their own backyard. If you or a family member has a plant allergy, knowing which plants to avoid adding to your garden will allow you and your loved ones to enjoy your spring and summers more.

People with plant allergies can experience allergic rhinitis or hay fever when they make contact with plant pollen. Because plants bloom during the spring and summer, pollen is abundant, making these months difficult for allergy sufferers.

Plant allergy symptoms depend largely on the kind and number of triggers a person is exposed to. However, the most common symptoms are itchy, irritated, and watery eyes, sneezing, a runny nose, and fatigue.

Allergen Immunotherapy Is A Long

Medications only reduce the severity of symptoms and do not cure allergic rhinitis. Another treatment option is allergen immunotherapy which is also known as desensitisation. AIT switches off the allergic reaction, by repeatedly introducing small doses of allergen extracts, by injection, sublingual tablets, sprays or drops.

AIT is a long term treatment which is usually given over a few years.

It should only be started after assessment by a clinical immunology/allergy specialist to determine if this is a suitable treatment option.

ASCIA is the peak professional body of clinical immunology/allergy specialists in Australia and New Zealand.

ASCIA resources are based on published literature and expert review, however, they are not intended to replace medical advice. The content of ASCIA resources is not influenced by any commercial organisations.

For more information go to www.allergy.org.au

To donate to immunology/allergy research go to www.allergyimmunology.org.au

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Different Trees Different Symptoms

Its important to note that not all trees cause allergic symptoms, and some allergy sufferers may be more sensitive to specific tree pollen types. For example, Birch, Cedar and Oak trees produce particularly highly allergenic pollen. Also, the severity of allergic reaction in different people might range from sneezing, red watery eyes, and minor respiratory agitations to full-blown asthma attacks and worse.

As the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America explains here, some people with a particular allergy to trees like Birch and Alder can even experience what we associate with food allergy reactions, called oral allergy syndrome This happens because the tree pollen structure is similar to the protein in certain types of apples and cherries, as well as different nuts and vegetables – a so-called cross-reactivity.

Asthma From Pollen Allergies

Pollen can be breathed into the lungs and directly cause asthma in some people. This can be unrelated to hay fever symptoms. Symptoms of asthma include:

• chest tightness or pain

• blocked sinuses
• extreme tiredness.

One in five Australians experience hay fever symptoms and they can be debilitating. People with hay fever are more likely to develop sinus infections, and can have interrupted sleep that leads to extreme tiredness. Severe hay fever symptoms can affect learning in children and productivity in adults. Hay fever can also make it more difficult to control asthma in those who are more likely to get it.

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Pollen Can Trigger Asthma

Pollen can directly trigger asthma and allergic rhinitis. Small particles of allergens can penetrate deep into the airways of the lung. Thunderstorms can also contribute to this:

• When pollen granules come into contact with water, starch granules are released that are small enough to be breathed into the airways, causing allergic rhinitis and asthma in some people
• People who wheeze during spring and/or summer, should see their doctor for advice.

Pollen seasons can last for months

In Australia pollen numbers are lower on the east coast where most winds come from the sea, and where there is protection from westerly winds by the Great Dividing Range. Pollen numbers are higher on the Victorian south coast because most winds are from the north carrying pollen from the northerly grasslands. In South Australia and Western Australia, the amount of pollen can vary according to the wind.

Pollination times vary with the plant variety and its location.

The principal grasses growing in the northern coastal areas are subtropical and mainly flower in January, February and March. Allergenic grasses in the southern part of Australia are mostly Northern hemisphere grasses, with the main flowering period from October to December.

Diagnosis is important