YOUR HEALTH - MEDICINE 101

Hay Fever
If you suffer from hay fever don't be afraid to bring this lovely plant inside. For years we blamed goldenrod for the stuffed up runny nose, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing. But the root of the problem was always this unattractive botanical - ragweed -, so called because of the irregular shape of its leaves.

Like all plants, the lowly ragweed wants to reproduce. So in the late summer and early fall it allows it's pollen to be spread on the wind. The pollen lands on the mucus membrane of your nose and throat and, if you're allergic, causes an inflammatory response. The capillaries in the area open, and you begin to weep fluid and become congested in your nose and throat. If the tubes into your lungs, the bronchi, are sensitive or allergic to this pollen it can cause asthma because the circular tube becomes narrowed by congestion.

But why doesn't everyone sneeze their way through hay fever season? It has to do with your immune system. Some immune systems seem to recognize the foreign particle, the pollen, as much more dangerous than it really is. That miscommunication sets off a powerful immune response. The body wants to rid itself of the pollen. Hay fever is annoying but there are some allergic reactions that are far more serious and potentially fatal.

That form of allergy is called anaphylaxis, which means without protection, and it refers to a reaction which is not localized to the eyes and throat but occurs throughout the entire body. Anaphylactic reactions often happen with lightening speed.

It works like this. In a sensitized individual, the immune system is primed and ready to release histamine and many other chemicals used in inflammation when the body is exposed to a foreign substance. When this occurs, massive amounts of chemicals are released within a few minutes, causing hives, swelling of the throat so severe as to completely obstruct the airway, a drop in blood pressure, massive swelling of the face and severe asthma.

Common causes of anaphylactic reactions range from peanuts to shellfish, bee and wasp stings and even medications like penicillin.

The treatment for anaphylaxis is simple – the compound adrenaline. Adrenaline, if injected quickly, reverses many if not all of the allergic response by neutralizing these chemicals. But how to get the adrenaline into someone quickly – the answer lies in the Gulf War.

In the Gulf War, soldiers faced the possibility of chemical warfare. They feared that many of them would be exposed to clouds of toxic chemicals, which would paralyze them. They had to be able to give the antidote quickly and so developed a needle that you could inject yourself. Here it is – it’s a simple cartridge, with a dose of adrenaline in it, and with a spring that pushes the needle into the skin and injects the adrenaline when pressed against the skin like this.

So, if you've got hay fever, don't leave home without this. If you've got a life-threatening allergy, don't leave home without this.