Hay fever is called allergic rhinitis. It is an allergic reaction. It is your immune system’s response to foreign materials such as pollens and molds in the air you breathe. The most common symptoms of hay fever are itchy, puffy, watery eyes and red, stuffy nose.
There are many different medications available to treat allergic rhinitis. Age is one factor governing which type of medication is used. Recently, cellulose powder has been used increasingly and scientists have proved that the cellulose powder reduces symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis in children, without any adverse effects.
Formerly, there has been a shortage of scientific evidence for its efficacy in seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever), particularly in children. But now a study of the Sahlgrenska Academy and the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of Gothenburg conducted at the Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital in Gothenburg during the birch pollen season in spring 2009 provided positive evidences for efficiency of this powder in hay fever treatment.
The cellulose powder produced from pine trees and forms a barrier on the mucous membrane when puffed into the nose. Fifty-three children and adolescents aged 8-18 years with allergic reaction to pollen involved in this study were puffed the powder in the nose 3 times daily for 4 weeks. Every day they also were on an antihistamine tablet (the most common treatment of hay fever). Pollen occurrence was measured every day on the roof of the hospital, and the pollen counts subsequently were analysed in relation to the symptoms reported by the children through SMS messaging on mobile phones.
The results showed that the nasal symptoms of the children were significantly reduced in those who used the cellulose powder. Especially, no adverse effects of the cellulose powder were seen. The scientists recommended the treatment admirably suited to self-care.