Most people love flowers. They plant them on the windowsills, decorate their yards and flower beds. Unfortunately, pollen is a strong allergen for some people.
In the article we will look at allergy to one of the most popular flowers - the orchid. Find out if this exotic beauty can be a cause for concern.
Can a flower cause an allergic reaction?
Could there be an allergy to this beautiful flower in a child or an adult? Few people think that he may be allergic. However, it is safe to say that this is possible. Quite often, the appearance of indoor plants leads to a sharp deterioration in the child's well-being. The reason for this is still a weak immune system.
What is a plant allergen?
Orchids are capricious tropical plants that require careful maintenance. Their owners have to buy a special soil, which has a multi-component composition. Allergy can occur on one component or the entire composition of the soil.
The reasons for the development of this reaction
Allergic reactions to orchid occur less frequently than other flowers. The reason is that allergy usually develops on pollen that gets into the air and then is inhaled by humans. An orchid has all the pollen stuck together in a pollinium, which can only be carried by an insect that pollinates it. Thus, pollen does not circulate in the air and cannot just cause allergies.
Allergy symptoms occur only when a person tried to smell a flower or repeatedly touched it during the care. In this case, the pollen enters the hands first and only then into the respiratory tract.
Is it possible that the cause of flower allergy is a weakened immunity? Yes it is.
Symptoms of malaise and when do they appear?
Allergy symptoms are often confused with colds. The most common signs of an allergic reaction are:
- nasal congestion;
- sore throat;
- dry cough;
- eye redness;
- tearing;
- irritability;
- fast fatiguability;
- lip swelling.
Important! If the orchid pollen is inhaled by an allergic person, the allergen can cause severe laryngeal edema and be fatal due to asphyxiation. In this case, immediate medical attention is required.
If symptoms appear only during the flowering of the plant, it can be assumed that the cause is pollen. When allergies bother after plant care, chemicals can be the cause. In the case when the allergy persists for a long time and does not depend on orchid bloom and procedures for its maintenance, the primer acts as an irritant.
Sometimes it happens that after replacing the soil, the symptoms do not disappear. To find out if a flower is an allergen, it is necessary to remove it from the room for a while and see how it feels. Often the cause is a house dust mite. In this case, help regular wet cleaning and airing.
Drug treatment
First of all, when an allergy occurs, it is necessary to eliminate the irritant. The flower should be removed from the room.
Drug treatment includes the use of the following tools:
- antihistamine group;
- vasoconstrictor nasal drops;
- creams and ointments that reduce redness and itching on the skin;
- eye drops.
All medicines are used in certain dosages after consulting a doctor.
Treatment of folk remedies
To reduce the effects of allergies, you can gently wash the nasopharynx with a weak saline solution. Folk remedy for the treatment of allergies is a decoction of chamomile. To prepare it, you need one tablespoon of chamomile flowers, pour a glass of boiling water over and insist for thirty minutes. Take the tool should be a tablespoon four times a day.
Do all plant species act equally on humans?
All types of orchids can cause allergies in humans.
As mentioned above, in most cases, the allergen is not the plant itself, but the soil and fertilizer for it.
Prevention
If you follow the rules, you can minimize the appearance of allergies:
- it is not recommended to put pots with orchids in the place where the person most often is located;
- it is necessary to regularly air and carry out wet cleaning of the house;
- do not leave the plant in the rooms of small children;
- it is necessary to abandon chemicals, especially those that need to be sprayed;
- If possible, it is better to make fertilizer yourself: a decoction of onion peel and potatoes, an infusion of eggshell.
Conclusion
If all of these tips do not help eliminate the symptoms of allergies do not immediately get rid of orchids. For a flower, you can select a room where the person is least of all located. Thus, it is possible to reduce the manifestation of allergies and at the same time enjoy the beautiful flower.
