What is an upper respiratory tract allergy?

Watery eyes, runny nose and violent attacks of sneezing or even a constantly blocked nose - can be signs of an allergic cold with or without conjunctivitis. Around a third of Germans suffer from these symptoms either throughout the year or during the pollen count of e.g. E.g. grass or birch pollen. A picnic in the countryside, extensive spring cleaning or stroking the neighbor's cat mean more frustration than pleasure for the approximately 30 million German allergy sufferers.

What actually is an allergy?

It is an overreaction to otherwise harmless substances. In the event of an allergy, these are fought by the body as if they were dangerous parasites. So there is a "mistake" of our immune system.

To which substances is an allergy directed?

Allergies to the nose and bronchi can be triggered by plant pollen, house dust mites, animal dander and mold. The absolute "leader" among allergies is hay fever, i.e. the allergic cold that is triggered by grass pollen. Around 10 million people suffer from hay fever in Germany alone.

What happens if an allergic rhinitis is not treated?

Although allergic rhinitis now has the status of a real widespread disease, it is all too often taken lightly. This behavior can have serious consequences. If an allergic rhinitis is not treated properly, the allergic inflammation can spread to the lower respiratory tract. This disease is called bronchial asthma. Every third pollen allergy sufferer develops asthma in the course of his illness. We call this extension of the allergy to the lungs the "change of floors" because the disease spreads from the upper airways to the lower airways. If left untreated, the allergy can spread to other triggers. There are allergy sufferers who suffer from their allergic cold from January to October.

Which examinations are necessary for an allergic cold?

First is the survey. We need the description of the symptoms and the triggering season and the location of the greatest complaints in order to be able to initiate further investigations. In many cases, we can find out the triggers by testing on the forearms. If the symptoms described match the allergen, then this extract is sprayed into the nose and the allergy is thus detected or ruled out. The mucous membrane of the nose does not always react in the same way as the skin, which is why this second test is often necessary. Unanswered questions can usually be clarified with a blood test.

How is allergic rhinitis treated?

There are medications that alleviate the symptoms, i.e. only suppress the symptoms. These include antihistamines such as cetirizine or loratadine, which neutralize the effect of the allergy messenger. The common cold and conjunctivitis can be treated with nasal sprays containing cortisone. The conjunctiva is irritated by messenger substances and not by the pollen itself. These sprays contain cortisone, which practically only works in the nose because it is filtered out of the blood very quickly. The typical symptoms of long-term therapy with cortisone can therefore not occur. Eye drops and nasal sprays that contain antihistamines are very effective and well tolerated. They are freely available, which is why they are never reimbursed by statutory health insurance companies and only accidentally reimbursed by private health insurance companies. Used as emergency medication, they can end virtually any severe hay fever attack in minutes. Of course, they help best if they are used continuously

Can you be cured of an allergy?

There is a process that converts the immune system's disease-causing reaction into a harmless reaction. This treatment is known as desensitization or hyposensitization. We doctors speak of specific immunotherapy, or SIT for short. The allergy sufferer gets a certain amount of "their" allergen injected under the skin in gradually increasing doses over a period of at least three years in order to make them insensitive. The body is slowly getting used to the actually harmless substances to which it overreacts. Immunotherapy has been particularly successful in treating allergies to pollen (hay fever), house dust mites, certain foods and insect bites. If the therapy is carried out consistently, the chances of success are very good. After three years, two of five allergy sufferers who have been treated will not need any further treatment, two will need significantly less medication to suppress the symptoms, and one will not be helped by SIT. We recognize the last patient after a year because he shows no improvement. Sometimes a change to a different preparation or a different form of SIT helps. We decide together with you whether the SIT is injected under the skin or whether drops or tablets are given under the tongue.

However, if the treatment is only with drugs that only suppress the symptoms, the development of asthma or other allergies is not influenced. During our consultation, we will discuss with you in detail what you and we can do together so that you can enjoy life to the fullest despite your allergy.