Spring and summer are for the great outdoors while winter is when people pretty much prefer to stay in. Yet there's something that all cultures have in common when it comes to the season of spring: they all believe that this is a time for a fresh start, a time of renewal, and yes, a time of rebirth in more ways than one.
It's a time of celebration, and while a common practice for people in India results in the splattering of Holi, American students tend to enjoy their break from February to April by going off to party to place such as Cancun, Acapulco, Barbados, Puerta Vallerta, the Bahamas and so on and so forth.
And there's a lot of underage drinking that goes on apart from these young people learning "mating skills". Some might say: Oh, the folly and exuberance of youth… but really, when you come to think of it, this whole business of mating goes on everywhere.
Yes, this is the season where animals run off to find their mate as well, and we get to witness their charades and dances on the National Geographic Channel and yes, even the plants ever so subtly also "plant their seeds" as well in the form of pollination as well.
Yet there's another reason why pollination is given importance as well…
Pollen
Much like procreation in humans and animals that requires the egg and the semen to combine in order to create life, plants also follow the same process asexually, if you will.
Reproduction in plants is as simple as the pollen which is released from the stamen reaches the carpel, with the former being the male reproductive organ of the plant while the latter is the female organ.
And this process does not occur from the stamen of the same plant to the carpel but also to the carpel of another plant of the species or of a different species as well. Most scientists call this cross-pollination. And the method by which pollen is transmitted is by the means of flowing water as well as the winds that blow during this time.
While not all the pollen gets used in fertilization, there is another far reaching effect that it does have on humans, and that is the allergy otherwise known as hayfever or pollen allergy.
So, how do you know if you have hayfever or not? Let's look at a list of common symptoms associated with hayfever.
Pollen Allergy Symptoms
What makes this allergy so annoying is that it affects your daily routine, and prevents from being able to concentrate on even the simplest task that is easily doable otherwise.
So here is the list of or hayfever or allergy pollen symptoms:
1) Nasal congestion
2) Runny Nose
3) Itching of the eyes and nose
4) Excessive tear formation in the eyes accompanied by redness
5) Loss of taste and smell
6) In severe cases, nose bleeding, sinusitis and asthma
7) Chronic cold
And much of these problems can be evaded by the allergy sufferer if they are able to access pollen forecasts that are provided at this link.
If you find that link useful, then perhaps these tips to avoid these outdoor allergens might also come in handy especially if it's difficult to deal with in your particular situation.
In Closing
Not only will this awareness and tips help you to avoid this allergy that costs the country almost $1 billion a year in medical costs but you can go out and have some fun, and experience "spring break" if only for a while without having to struggle with the allergy.
