Over 10 Million Italians Affected by Flu and Allergies: A Comprehensive Overview

More than 10 million Italians are at home with the flu: to be almost 14 million to be precise and they are mostly children under five years old. To these, add the crowd of allergic people who experience the first symptoms triggered by the milder weather. But what are the causes of grass allergy? And how do you distinguish between flu virus and allergy? Respiratory diseases and precision therapy: the new frontiers of research Grass Allergy: Symptoms Grass allergy is due to an hypersensitivity of the immune system to pollen grains dispersed in the environment during the flowering period of some plants. When these allergens come into contact with an allergic subject, in fact, an abnormal reaction of the immune system is triggered that identifies them as a threat to the organism. What does the body do? It defends itself and produces antibodies which in turn stimulate an inflammatory reaction that translates into symptoms. The allergic subject sneezes, has a cold or an allergic rhinitis, feels an inflammation of the nasal mucosa that can also manifest itself with a nose itch. He feels nasal congestion (a symptom similar to the common cold) and in the most severe cases has difficulty breathing. He may also have a cough and asthma. Even the eyes are very sensitive organs for the allergic subject: they become red, tear more often, are affected by conjunctivitis and feel discomfort during sun exposure (photophobia). Finally, pay a lot of attention to other symptoms such as headache, sleep disturbances, and skin manifestations. Allergies, spring rhinitis and conjunctivitis alarm: here are the causes and how to treat them. The expert: "The mask does not stop the pollen" Inhalations and foods: what to avoid if you are allergic to grasses Pollen and flowers, but not only. You should know that under the label of grasses a vast array of herbaceous plants can be collected that can grow spontaneously or be cultivated. This family also includes cereals such as oats, wheat, and corn, barley, rye. Therefore, the allergic person feels symptoms not only when inhaling pollen grains dispersed in the air but also when approaching plants or if eating certain foods, in particular: peaches, melons or watermelons that can cause itching in the oral cavity. How to find out if I am an allergic subject You can perform a skin test (prick test). Simply put the skin in contact with the allergen that is suspected to be responsible for the allergic reaction, to verify the possible skin manifestation dosage of IgE, to measure the blood concentration of this class of antibodies, in order to have a confirmation on the sensitivity of the subject with respect to exposure to the allergen. Flu, bulletin: children under five years affected Different is the case of a flu, therefore a virus that attacks the organism. There is a slow decrease in cases but pediatric studies are still very crowded. Because it is the children who are most affected. From April 1 to 7, the incidence is equal to 4.8 cases per thousand assisted (5.2 in the previous week). The estimated cases of flu-like syndrome, reported to the entire Italian population, are about 284,000, for a total of about 13,863,000 cases since the beginning of surveillance. This is underlined by the epidemiological report RespiVirNet of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Higher Institute of Health (Iss). "Mostly affected are children under five years of age in which an incidence level of 11.9 cases per thousand assisted is observed (14.6 in the previous week)", the report continues. "In the age group 5-14 years at 5.21 in the age group 15-64 years at 4.85 and among individuals aged 65 years or older at 2.79 cases per thousand assisted", specifies the Iss. Remedies against allergies You can avoid exposure to allergens first of all but to not be limited you have to resort to pharmacological therapy and therefore to antihistamines, or corticosteroids. An anti-inflammatory can also be prescribed, naturally dosed based on the symptoms and severity of the reaction. There is also the "challenging card" of immunotherapy which consists in gradually accustoming the organism to exposure to the allergen. In the presence of mild symptoms, instead, you can think of taking foods naturally antihistamines and anti-inflammatories (from black currant to green tea). Allergies, let's recap the foods to avoid Also think about a spring diet as an antidote to allergies. "In March, pollen represents the main cause of allergies in predisposed subjects, but many do not know that diet can be a valid ally to reduce symptoms. For allergic subjects - specifies to Adn Kronos the immunologist Mauro Minelli, responsible for the South of the Personalized Medicine Foundation (Fmp) - it is essential to reduce the intake of foods that contain histamine, as in the case of aged cheeses or vegetables like tomatoes and spinach, and foods that release this substance, as happens for chocolate and strawberries. Finally, do not neglect cross-allergic reactions, which manifest exclusively in those subjects who present a sensitization towards homologous allergens contained both in pollen and in foods. This is the reason why - concludes Minelli - allergics to grass pollen can manifest allergy symptoms with the consumption of foods like wheat, kiwi, tomato, melon, while allergics to parietaria must pay attention to foods such as basil, mulberry, cherry, and melon.