Samantha Ruth Prabhu opens up about her pollen allergies; experts weigh in

Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently opened up about how she loves flowers but needs to be careful around them.

“Those mixed feelings when you love these pretty things but are scared AF because the last time, they sent you to the emergency room. Like who the hell is allergic to flowers?! Tsk,” she complained.

Samantha, like many other people, suffers from pollen allergies. According to experts, symptoms include sneezing, itching and rashes. It is estimated that 10-20% of the global population suffers from some form of allergic rhinitis, or hay fever.

Pollen allergies: What are they?

Biologically, an allergy is defined as a hypersensitivity reaction.

When a person inhales small particulate matter, such as pollen, it can quite often be misrecognized by the body as a harmful pathogen, causing an unnecessary and elevated immune reaction, referred to as hypersensitivity or an allergy. More specifically, a pollen allergy is a type I hypersensitivity reaction. Immune cells in the body recognize foreign particles, such as those from viruses and bacteria, via a protein expressed by these intruders, called an antigen. People with pollen allergies are genetically predisposed to inappropriate immune responses to pollen, by the production of a substance called IgE antibodies, resulting in many of the uncomfortable symptoms of allergies, such as those Samantha has to endure, if she gets too close to flowers.

What is pollen?

Pollen is a fine powder generated by the majority of flowering and seed-producing plants to facilitate sexual reproduction. They can also be transported by animals such as bees and birds, often called “pollinators”.

According to Dr. Somnath Gupta of Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, not only are pollen allergies extremely common they also vary a lot between people, due to the genetic diversity inherent in plants.

How to treat pollen allergies

Nebulizers and bronchodilators can be used to treat wheezing symptoms. Antihistamines and other antiallergic medicines can provide relief for mild symptoms. For more extreme symptoms, a visit to the emergency room, followed by steroid or epinephrine injections, may become necessary.

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