Environmental
Severity: Mild
Within minutes to hours of exposure
Birch pollen allergy
Birch pollen allergy, often linked to oral allergy syndrome.
Common triggers
- Birch pollen and products containing it
Symptoms
- Sneezing and a runny or blocked nose
- Itchy, red or watery eyes
- Itchy throat, nose or ears
- Coughing or wheezing
- Worsening of asthma
Avoidance & management
- Reduce exposure to the trigger where possible
- Keep windows closed during high-exposure periods
- Use air filtration and wash bedding regularly
- Shower and change clothes after exposure
- Use prescribed antihistamines, nasal sprays or preventers
Sources & references
Allergy safety: what everyone should know
Mild-to-moderate reaction signs
- Itching, hives or a raised rash
- Swelling of lips, face or eyes
- Tingling mouth, sneezing, runny nose
- Stomach pain, nausea or vomiting
Anaphylaxis — call 999 (UK) or 112 (EU) immediately
- Difficult or noisy breathing, wheeze, persistent cough
- Swelling of the tongue or tightness in the throat
- Dizziness, collapse, pale and floppy (young children)
- Use an adrenaline auto-injector (e.g. EpiPen) at once if prescribed, then call an ambulance even if symptoms improve
Allergy or intolerance? A true allergy involves the immune system and can escalate quickly; an intolerance (e.g. lactose intolerance) is unpleasant but not life-threatening. The symptoms overlap, so self-diagnosis is unreliable.
Getting tested: home-testing kits based on IgG are not diagnostically valid. If you suspect an allergy, ask a GP for referral to an allergy clinic for skin-prick or specific-IgE testing and a supervised food challenge where appropriate.
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