Ken Baker: Hay fever, once a rich man s disease, now troubles many
Ken Baker, Ph.D.
Allergens, antigens, antibodies, seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis, asthma, anaphylaxis, histamines, antihistamines, leukotrienes, mast cells, Immunoglobulin E (IgE), pollen, pollinosis…
All those scientific concepts tumbling about in the brain like a load of mismatched socks in the dryer. Welcome to hay fever season.
Except this isn’t the season for hay, and neither hay nor fever plays a role in hay fever.
So anyway.
Allergic rhinitis is the more precise name for the disease and it is a disease associated with the miserable collection of symptoms we typically think of as hay fever: nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and watery, swollen, itchy eyes.