It happened suddenly. Without warning. One day I woke up with stuffed nose. My eyes and nose were itching. It was hard to breathe. You probably know that when your eyes are itchy and irritated you can’t think straight. I was struggling at work to get the job done, and only felt worse as the hours passed by. After work, I had guests at home and I had to plan and cook dinner. They asked me questions I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t think. What a nightmare! I couldn’t itch my eyes, but I just felt the urge to do it. Next day, I made an appointment at the family doctor.
I got the diagnose: For the first time in my life I’d gotten Pollen Allergy. According to the Norwegian asthma and allergy association, Pollen allergy is triggered by pollen from trees and shrubs such as alder, hazel, willow and birch, as well as plants such as grass and burot. Pollen allergy is also referred to as seasonal allergic rhinitis or hay fever.
I was sent to the Allergy Center in Stavanger and took many tests to check which plants I was allergic to, if I had asthma, my lung capacity, other possible allergies like food, animals.
After the results, I took an arsenal of medicine: anti histamines (two types), eye drops, nasal spray, and asthma medicine. Then I began to think straight and understand what was going on with my body.
How come I never had this before, if I come from Brazil with thousands of trees, flowers and bees? The answer was: Bjørk (Birch). It’s a tree that we find seldom in South America, more common way up north of Equator. Since last Spring was too dry, this year, the birches were prepared to fight back for their lives. They came with extra ammunition and threw much more pollen in the air. That’s why the pollen emission was super strong that year.
Fruit allergy all of a sudden. One of the effects of pollen allergy is crossed reactivity: your throat itches and even swallows when you eat fruit like apples, pears, peaches, kiwi, etc.
Statistics show that 20% of Norwegians suffer from pollen allergy. That means 1 in every 5 people. In some cases, students get school exams postponed and are allowed to study from home, even from their cabins in the mountains.
Spring comes sooner by the sea, than in the mountains. That’s why some Norwegians drive to their cabins to escape from the pollen emission. Or at least, postpone it.
Finding a cure for pollen allergy. Luckily, there’s a vaccine that can be taken daily, at home, in form of tablets. You take it for three years uninterrupted. After that, you shouldn’t have the symptoms anymore. I’m on my second year and I have been feeling much better. The symptoms are milder.
In order to be given this vaccine, I went through several tests. The health system in Norway is really impressive when it comes to pollen allergy.
You should make an appointment at your family doctor if you have any symptoms. Don’t medicate yourself as it can me ineffective and dangerous.
Monitoring the pollen emission in Norway. There’s an app that monitors pollen emissions in Norway. The app shows which kind of pollen is in the air right now, where, and how strong.
When the emissions are strong, it’s advisable to stay more indoors. If you can’t, as soon as you’re back home, take off and wash your clothes. Take a shower and wash your hair. This way, you’ll be removing the pollen stuck with you.
What I do with the fruit reaction: I make apple pie and cake instead of eating them raw. 🙂
It’s also advisable to start taking anti histaminic tablets around four weeks before the pollen season starts.
Remember: You should consult your M.D. for a diagnose and guided treatment.
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