Desensitization, antihistamines, everyday actions... How to alleviate pollen allergies?

Watery or itchy eyes, a runny or blocked nose or even an irritated throat... Nearly one in three French adults, and 20% of children over the age of nine, suffer each year from seasonal rhinitis caused by a pollen allergy.

Since Wednesday, February 19, three-quarters of the country, with the exception of the northwest coast, have been placed on red alert due to allergy risks by the National Aerobiological Surveillance Network (RNSA). The mild temperatures are encouraging trees to bloom and releasing significant amounts of pollen into the air.

To limit the risks of allergies, simple actions are recommended. At home, for example, you should rinse your hair in the evening before going to bed, air the room for at least ten minutes a day, but preferably before sunrise or after sunset to prevent pollen, which is more present during the day, from sneaking inside.

According to the Ministry of Health , it is advisable to avoid "aggravating the symptoms by adding irritants or allergens" to the vehicle, such as tobacco, cleaning or DIY products, home fragrances, incense, candles, etc.

Outside, where the risks are higher, it is better to refrain from activities "that lead to overexposure to pollen". For example, mowing the lawn, tending to the vegetable garden or going for a jog... "If necessary, opt for the end of the day and wear protective glasses and a mask", notes the ministry.

You should avoid drying your laundry outside or closing the car windows when traveling.

"The simplest actions are first of all hygiene actions, like washing your nose with sea water," pharmacist Philippe Bellaiche told BFMTV.

But sometimes, these simple actions are not enough. You must then turn to your pharmacist or your doctor to obtain antihistamine medication. "Antihistamines block the production of histamine (a molecule, editor's note) which is responsible for symptoms such as swelling, redness, itching, sneezing, etc.," specifies the Health Insurance .

Before adding: "They are taken orally in the form of tablets or oral solutions. They also exist for local treatments in the form of creams, nasal solutions in the case of allergic rhinitis". Some antihistamines are available by prescription only.

"We also have a natural alternative based on sea water and eucalyptus essential oil, for example," notes pharmacist Philippe Bellaiche.

To treat the problem in the long term, there is a solution recommended by allergists called desensitization. However, it is necessary to start in advance, that is, in the fall, because this process lasts several months.

"The principle is to absorb small quantities of pollen and repeat it for a few months, so that when the time comes, the body has become tolerant to these pollens," explains allergist Sophie Silcret-Grieu.

Ameli specifies that desensitization is not possible in cases of immune deficiency, before the age of five, in cases of pregnancy, severe asthma or in cases of taking beta-blocker medication.

At this time of year, it is the pollens of hazelnuts and alders that can seriously bother allergy sufferers throughout the country. When the pollens of cypress, thuja and juniper will rather affect the inhabitants of the southwest and southeast of the country.

While it is normal to have so many departments on red alert in February because it is the "usual flowering period for these species", Samuel Monnier, an engineer at the RNSA, nevertheless notes that this flowering is happening "earlier and earlier" because winters are increasingly milder.