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Why Does Pollen Make You Sick?

Pollen is a small, grain-like substance that plants use to reproduce. It is produced by a plant's stamen. Pollen travels from plant to plant by air or is carried and deposited by insects. Although the spread of pollen helps plants immeasurably by helping them reproduce, it can be very harmful when spread to humans.

  1. Pollen in the air

    • Even though grains of pollen cannot be seen with the naked eye, it can cause a lot of distress to humans. According to NASA, this is mostly due to the wind. Plants don't just make enough pollen to reproduce; they make a surplus of pollen so that it can reach the other plants. Strong winds grab the pollen upwards to the tops of clouds where there is cold air. Cold air then turns the pollen into tiny, microscopic fragments, which are then inhaled.

    Symptoms

    • Allergy symptoms caused by pollen include itchy and watery eyes, runny and stuffy noses, coughing and sneezing. These symptoms don't only happen during the cold seasons, but anytime when pollen is in the air.

    Treatments

    • There are three methods for preventing allergy symptoms. First, we can try to avoid exposure to pollen in the first place. Second, we can take medication for pollen allergy symptoms. Third, we can undergo immunotherapy, which essentially "trains" our body's immune system to ignore the pollen's effects by using a series of allergy shots.

    How to avoid pollen

    • Pollen comes from plants, so in case of pollen symptoms, the first thing to check are plants around the home. Re-landscaping around the house is often a good idea. In addition, pollen can get stuck to the hair and clothes, so taking showers and changing after coming from the outdoors also help.

    Why does pollen make you sick?

    • The human body's immune system reacts the same way to pollen as it does to all allergens. It keeps things "organized;" therefore, foreign particles such as pollen are not accepted into the body. During pollen season, millions of particles are inhaled each day. These particles accumulate in the respiratory system, irritating the nasal passages and causing the mucous membranes to swell and clog the nose and sinuses. This also causes the release of a chemical called histamine, and all these reactions together bring on the symptoms of allergies such as sneezing and coughing that make a person feel sick.

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